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 hop-scotching 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.
"If book reviews just cut to the chase, this one would simply read: This is a terrific novel! Read it!"
Ann Harleman, The Boston Globe
"One of the most impressive novels in English of the past year, and I predict you'll read it with your heart in your chest, inside the narrative, and the narrative inside you."
Alan Cheuse, Chicago Tribune
"An extraordinary new novel lit by a moral intelligence at once fierce and tender."
Pankaj Mishra, front-cover review in The New York Times Book Review
