In a crumbling isolated house at the foot of Mount Kanchenjunga in the Himalayas lives an embittered judge who wants only to retire in peace when his orphaned granddaughter Sai arrives on his doorstep. The judge’s cook watches over her distractedly for his thoughts are often on his son Biju who is hopscotching from one gritty New York restaurant to another. Kiran Desai’s brilliant novel published to huge acclaim is a story of joy and despair. Her characters face numerous choices that majestically illuminate the consequences of colonialism as it collides with the modern world.
