by Kiran Desai
Published by Penguin Canada (2006)
ISBN 978-0802142818
Description
In a crumbling, isolated house at the foot of Mount Kanchenjunga
in the Himalayas lives an embittered judge who wants only
to retire in peace, when his orphaned granddaughter, Sai,
arrives on his doorstep. The judge’s cook watches over
her distractedly, for his thoughts are claimed by his son,
Biju, who is hopscotching from one gritty New York restaurant
to another. When an Indian–Nepali insurgency in the
mountains interrupts Sai’s exploration of the many incarnations
and facets of a romance with her Nepali tutor, and causes
their lives to descend into chaos, they are forced to consider
their colliding interests.
In a generous vision, sometimes funny, sometimes sad, Desai
presents the human quandaries facing a panoply of characters.
This majestic novel of a busy, grasping time—every moment
holding out the possibility of hope or betrayal—illuminates
the consequences of colonialism and global conflicts of religion,
race, and nationalism.
About the Author
Kiran Desai was born in India in 1971, she lived in Delhi
until she was 14, then spent a year in England, before her
family moved to the USA. She completed her schooling in Massachusetts
before attending Bennington College; Hollins University and
Columbia University, where she studied creative writing, taking
two years off to write Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard. Her
mother is Anita Desai, author of many books, three of which
have been short listed for the Booker Prize.
Special Event
Kiran Desai will be reading from The Inheritance of Loss
in Berlin, Germany on Friday, September 14th at 6 p.m. at
the Haus der Kulturen der Welt (House of World Cultures),
John-Foster-Dulles-Allee 10
10557 Berlin [map].
Tickets are 5€. This event is part of both Asia-Pacific
Week 2007 and the 7th Annual
International Literature Festival. For details, click here
to visit
the website of the Haus der Kulturen der Welt.
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