The Inheritance Of Loss
by Kiran Desai
Awards: Booker Winner 2006, National Book Critics Circle Winner 2006
Nominations: Dublin Longlist 2008, Women's Prize Finalist 2007
Date Read: April 10, 2019
All I can say about this novel is just Wow! The content is so rich and the story is compelling. It's difficult to sum up all of my thoughts.
The Inheritance Of Loss primarily follows Sai and Biju as they follow very different paths that converge in the end. Sai is orphaned and sent to live with her grandfather in India. Biju is an Indian national who is sent to the US but ultimately decides to return to India. Both characters provide unique glimpses into being Indian, being a foreigner in the US, life in a post-colonial society and the hardships of youth finding their way in a complex world.
With Biju, readers see an inside view of the reverse racism that occurs among immigrants. Biju is harshly judged for being Indian, being illegal, being odiferous, for just being. He quickly learns that life in the US is not what he had hoped, particularly for his lack of a green card. Being illegal relegates him to a transitory life where he is unable to maintain jobs or close relationships and he is vulnerable to exploitation. He is relegated to a shadow class that makes other, more privileged lives possible. Biju, in fact, is almost poorer for his lack of connection to his father, having to face this brutal reality on his own.
Meanwhile, Sai is trying to understand her life in India among a dwindling society of expats that are holdovers from the colonial days. So many of the indignities that seemed to be a part of the past are actually still very alive and present. She becomes part of a society where everyone is judging everyone else by seemingly arbitrary criteria, which actually sabotages everyone from authentic connection.
The Inheritance Of Loss is, in my opinion, a very accurate glimpse on humans behaving at their worst. From colonialism in and of itself, to the judging of others, to racism, to injustice, I found myself so often despairing at humanity. Desai is so gifted in describing this world and providing a glimpse into the injustices the poorer among us must endure.
All I can say about this novel is just Wow! The content is so rich and the story is compelling. It's difficult to sum up all of my thoughts.
The Inheritance Of Loss primarily follows Sai and Biju as they follow very different paths that converge in the end. Sai is orphaned and sent to live with her grandfather in India. Biju is an Indian national who is sent to the US but ultimately decides to return to India. Both characters provide unique glimpses into being Indian, being a foreigner in the US, life in a post-colonial society and the hardships of youth finding their way in a complex world.
With Biju, readers see an inside view of the reverse racism that occurs among immigrants. Biju is harshly judged for being Indian, being illegal, being odiferous, for just being. He quickly learns that life in the US is not what he had hoped, particularly for his lack of a green card. Being illegal relegates him to a transitory life where he is unable to maintain jobs or close relationships and he is vulnerable to exploitation. He is relegated to a shadow class that makes other, more privileged lives possible. Biju, in fact, is almost poorer for his lack of connection to his father, having to face this brutal reality on his own.
Meanwhile, Sai is trying to understand her life in India among a dwindling society of expats that are holdovers from the colonial days. So many of the indignities that seemed to be a part of the past are actually still very alive and present. She becomes part of a society where everyone is judging everyone else by seemingly arbitrary criteria, which actually sabotages everyone from authentic connection.
The Inheritance Of Loss is, in my opinion, a very accurate glimpse on humans behaving at their worst. From colonialism in and of itself, to the judging of others, to racism, to injustice, I found myself so often despairing at humanity. Desai is so gifted in describing this world and providing a glimpse into the injustices the poorer among us must endure.
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