The Inheritance of Loss

Inheritance of Loss is set in the northeastern Himalayas, against the backdrop of an insurgency that threatens to disrupt the lives of the people in the region.

The story unfolds in a dilapidated house at the foot of Mount Kanchenjunga, where a retired judge lives with his granddaughter, Sai, and their unnamed cook. Running parallel is the story of Biju, the cook’s son, who has entered the United States illegally and works in grim New York kitchens. He is part of the “shadow class”—illegal immigrants who survive by taking poorly paid jobs and sharing cramped basements with others in the same situation. The novel moves fluidly between India and the United States, spanning borders, continents, and cultures, while presenting its characters’ lives in fragments and shifting perspectives.

The narrative intensifies when a Nepalese insurgency spreads into the mountains. Sai’s romance with her Nepali tutor, Gyan, deteriorates when he joins the rebellion, while Biju struggles to stay ahead of U.S. immigration authorities. Amid these conflicts, the judge is forced to confront memories of his past and reconcile his inner contradictions.

Through Inheritance of Loss, Kiran Desai explores themes of globalization, terrorism, economic inequality, and the disarray of postcolonial societies. The novel won both the Man Booker Prize (2006) and the National Book Critics Circle Award.