The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai

An excellently written novel which is a surprisingly dull read. The book is set in a hillside village on the foothills of the Himalayas and follows a young girl, Sai, living in a dilapidated house with her grandfather and their cook.  Sai befriends her tutor, a young man who becomes embroiled in India's political unrest, and the novel follows the tension this puts on their relationship and on Sai's small household.  Excellent writing but too boring to be an enjoyable read.