Reef by Romesh Gunesekera

This is a beautifully told novel.

Triton is houseboy to Mister Salgado, who is a marine biologist working slowly on a project related to the disappearing coral reefs round the island where they live. The story really focuses on Triton and his relationship to Salgado and his friends and business associates. It's a fascinating, insightful view into the life of someone working in service. It's also a novel full of beautifully observed moments, including this wonderful observation of an oriole:

The oriole came back. it had never come so close to the house before. I could see it behind Mr Salgaldo: tangerine yellow, a bold black head, bright red-ringed eyes, a red beak. It was small and yet its voice could fill the whole garden; its yellow plumage like a lick of paint. It sang deadpan. No anguish. No fear of the eagle that would swoop down on it one day and rip its yellow feathers. 

Reef by Romesh Gunesekera. published by Granta