Review: The Inheritance of Loss (Kiran Desai)

This was definitely an intense book. At first I found myself at odds with the characters in the book's opening (the judge, the cook, and Sai). The cook's son, Biju, was an interesting character, and as an illegal immigrant in the mid 1980s to America, I was fascinated at the life he was living.

Juxtaposed to Biju were his father (the cook), the Judge, and Sai in the Nepalese region of India amidst civil unrest. I was often perplexed by the rigidity of the Judge given the issues surrounding the country. As the story wore on, I felt pity for the Judge - it was almost as if he were programmed to live a life that was inauthentic, his one joy his dog (a purebred red setter that - spoiler alert - does not have a happy ending).

Sai was an unusual character - it was hard to pin down her exact age. At times she felt very childish - like a small child in early school years. At other times she felt older - high school or maybe on the brink of adulthood. As the themes of colonialism were constructed, it was clear that there was as much of a cultural and ideological war raging inside of her as those around her, especially her love interest Gyan.

The relationship with Sai and Gyan was a powerful one, and I could imagine the story playing out on the screen or stage. At times it felt Romeo-and-Juliet-esque, but with an Indo-cultural twist. Trying to tease through the complexities taking place during the civil unrest in India in the mid-1980s and have a sub-plot romance felt a bit jarring at first, but the more I reflected on what was taking place holistically in the book the more I realized this was a natural progression of major themes taking place.

Overall, Desai's writing style was very strong, except within the last 100 pages. While the book is long, it did feel like the last 100 pages felt more rushed. Perhaps it was because the transitions took place faster, or the chapters were shorter. I found myself emotionally invested as the book progressed - laughing when there were moments of comic relief, biting my lip in anticipation of what would happen, and crying at times as reality of the characters' situations set in.

Not my usual type of read - and I certainly am open to reading more of Desai's work.

Happy Reading!!
--Jennifer