The Inheritance of Loss

By Kiran Desai,

Book cover of The Inheritance of Loss

Book description

The Inheritance of Loss is Kiran Desai's extraordinary Man Booker Prize winning novel.

High in the Himalayas sits a dilapidated mansion, home to three people, each dreaming of another time.

The judge, broken by a world too messy for justice, is haunted by his past. His orphan granddaughter has fallen…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked The Inheritance of Loss as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

There’s so much to love in this book. Desai’s characters come to life, as does Kalimpong's setting on the Himalayan foothills. You can feel the frustrations and humiliations of Sai, her grandfather, their cook, and his son Biju in New York City as the cruelty and callousness of life crush them.

As the book lurched toward its painful conclusion, I desperately warned the characters to avoid a catastrophe, but alas, to no avail. This is one of the best books I have ever read.

From Norrin's list on novels that nail the endings.

Want books like The Inheritance of Loss?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The Inheritance of Loss.

Browse books like The Inheritance of Loss

Book cover of The Spy Who Came in From the Cold
Book cover of Barney's Version
Book cover of Of Mice and Men

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,187

readers submitted
so far, will you?

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in grandparents, orphans, and teenage girls?

Grandparents 69 books
Orphans 178 books
Teenage Girls 135 books