The Inheritance of Loss
Kiran Desai
Publisher: Penguin
Rs 495/-
Kiran Desai sure has a lot to live up to. It can't be easy being compared to mom and best-selling author Anita Desai all the time. But the young Desai laughs it off, saying, "the legacy is not a problematic, it is a difficult one. It's actually made the writing much easier, she's been a constant source of support, especially on this last one."
That said, Kiran writes differently from her mother. She's dealing with life and problems in very much the 20th century, with young people at the heart of it. So, the story begins with insurgency at the foot of the Himalayas. The main characters are Sai, an orphan taken in by her painful and the "lizard-like" grandfather - the Judge (who tragically seems to be capable of only understanding and loving his dog, Mutt), the cook who dotes on Sai and his own son, Biju, who is in that land of great freedom and opportunity, America.
The people in the story feel real. While you really don't have much sympathy for the judge, you do get a glimpse of how his hate has shaped him into this shell of a person. Sai is a fun character, shut away from the world but not yet at the stage where she's scared to live. Her tutor / love interest Gyan is also interesting - he feels the glamorous call of the insurgency but realises it's not his scene. But that doesn't stop him taking out his frustration on Sai (sounds like a lot of people you'd meet in real life!)
The real fun is in New York. This isn't one of those books where you read of the glitz and the fun and the frenetic pace of life in the Big Apple, but the world of the illegals and their desperate quest for that elusive Green Card. The post-colonial colonised illegal immigrants, who inhabit the lower floors of hotels and restaurants, meant to be unseen and unheard, while the First World dines in all its finery above their heads.
It's really sad, actually, without being contrived, and apparently is a subject the author feels passionately about. Saeed is a fun character and there are bits that make you laugh out loud. It's all about perception, right?
The ending is pretty sad. There's no major climax despite all the build-up and while that leaves you wanting more, it's probably truest to the lives portrayed. No easy answers, no happy endings, but definitely the glimmer of hope. That said, it's not a heavy-duty stressful book, but a pleasant read.
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