Bibliofreakblog

The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai

There’s a couple of distinct, though intertwined, story lines in this book.  What probably accounts for the “main” story line, is Sai, the granddaughter of a retired judge, and their relationship–as well as Sai’s relationship with her tutor.

Set in the 1980’s in India though right up against the border with Nepal–and right up against the Indian-Nepali politics of the region, Sai’s tutor is Nepali and their illicit love is wrapped up in the Nepali riots.

Sai’s grandfather, the retired judge, employs a cook, who has sent his adult son to the U.S. to live (both meagerly and illegally).  

Nearby Sai and her grandfather are two old ladies, who are obsessed with England.  They order tea and biscuits from the U.K. and disdain all things Indian (though they are Indian themselves).

Sai’s grandfather reminisces about his own time in England in the 1930’s when he studied at Cambridge University.

Many themes run throughout this book, including, but not limited to:

• Family (particularly concerning generations)
• Immigration
• British influence on India
• Scholarship
• Class
• Ethnic divisions
• Economics–both privilege and hardship in the 3rd world and in the West
• Love

I could go on and on about any of these themes, but instead I’ll try to sum up what struck me the most.

If you could get out of India (and it’s not easy to get out), why wouldn’t you go?  And if you could stay (in the U.S., U.K., etc), why wouldn’t you stay?

But maybe there’s something more important than that.

And that’s family.

I live three time zones away from what I call my “home home”.  Seattle may be my home–I own a house here–but Michigan will always be my real home.  I can’t imagine feeling the same way I feel about Michigan any where else.  Mostly, I suppose, that’s because that’s where my family is.

But…

When I left Michigan, newly graduated and newly married, four years ago, the unemployment rate was around 7%.  It’s since doubled, and the national average is around 7%.  So while I don’t understand not being able to talk on the phone to your family every day and I’ve never gone from having no plumbing to squatting in an overcrowded urban dwelling and considering it an upgrade, I do get the sentiment.  I get moving for economic reasons…

…And wondering, at the end of the day, if you’ve made the right choice.

If you like this book/author, you might like:

The Space Between Us (F) by Thrity Umrigar
Unaccustomed Earth (F) by Jhumpa Lahiri
The Namesake (F) by Jhumpa Lahiri
Lipstick Jihad (CNF) by Azadeh Moaveni
Three Cups of Tea (CNF) by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
The Kite Runner (F) by Khaled Hosseini
A Thousand Splendid Suns (F) by Khaled Hosseini
Deep River (F) by Shusaku Endo 
Eat, Pray, Love (CNF) by Elizabeth Gilbert
Saving Fish from Drowning (F) by Amy Tan
The White Tiger (F) by Aravind Adiga
The God of Small Things (F) by Arundhati Roy
Midnight’s Children (F) by Salman Rushdie
A Fine Balance (F) by Rohinton Mistry
Brick Lane (F) by Monica Ali
A Suitable Boy (F) by Vikram Seth
A Bend in the River (F) by V.S. Naipul
Shantaram (F) by Gregory David Roberts
Life of Pi (F) by Yann Martel
Clear Light of Day (F) by Anita Desai
Fasting, Feasting (F) by Anita Desai
In Custody (F) by Anita Desai 

Other works by Kiran Desai:

Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard