The Inheritance Of Loss by Kiran Desai, reviewed by Meghna Khera

The Inheritance Of Loss by Kiran Desai

Reviewed by
Name: Meghna Khera (13 years)
School: Carmel Convent School, Malcha Marg, Chanakya Puri, New Delhi- 110021

This Man Booker Prize Winner is a beautifully written novel in which Kiran Desai portrays a slice of Indian life by describing the small town of Kalimpong located among the hills. Her characters’ are affected by globalization and the colonial history she has incorporated-Jemubhai Patel- a retired judge often muses about his past life and is filled with hate for himself and his neglected wife, his granddaughter Sai being an orphan yearns for love and warmth, their cook- a poor and chatty person loves Sai like a daughter in the absence of his son Biju whom he had sent off to New York after his wife died. Desai draws parallels between Indians and those abroad by leading the readers into the lives of several inhabitants of Kalimpong and that of Biju who is abandoned by foreigners and does odd errands and jobs to make a living. Sai and her tutor- Gyan fall in love but are soon forced to consider their clashing interests when Gyan joins the Gurkha Insurgency. Each one inherits loss in the end and wonder if they will ever get what they yearn for. In this extraordinary piece of work Desai has shown the eminence of love, compassion and family relationships.