Homeless Bird

Homeless Bird is about a thirteen year old, Indian girl named Koly, who experiences many terrifying situations. She is first forced to leave the only home she has ever known and marry a complete stranger. That is just the beginning. Koly later finds out that her new spouse is dying and the family married him off only to receive a dowry. As soon as her husband dies, Koly is left as an undesirable widow, with a bitter mother-in-law, Sass. Koly is terribly sad and is sick of being bossed around by Sass. She knows that if she returns to her parents' home, it will bring shame to her family. Stuck in a household of hate, Koly realizes that she will die miserable and unwanted. After years of loneliness and terror, she is abandoned by Sass in Vrindavan, a holy city. Koly finds that even though she is left in a strange city, it is the best thing that has ever happened to her. She soon finds happiness. I guess you'll have to read the book to find out what takes her from misery to joy. The author creates a vivid image of the perils and successes of her protagonist, allowing you to cry and laugh with this young, heroic character. The book is hard to put down once you are captured by the stories intensity. Anyone who enjoys stories where courage, hope and perseverance lead to a happy ending will absolutely enjoy this book and love getting to know Koly.

13 year old Koly leaves her family and a simple but harsh country life when she is married off to a Hindu boy she has never met. She knows she cannot resist because her dowry will help her family financially. To her surprise, she is soon widowed when the groom dies of tuberculosis and is left in the hands of his selfish and greedy Mother. Koly is eventually abandoned in a holy city where unwanted widows are deserted and must use her strength and courage to carve out a life for herself. This is a beautifully written and fully engaging story with imagery that transports the reader directly into Koly's world. Readers will admire this strong female character who must rely on herself and her beautiful gift for embroidery to become self sustainable and find true happiness. Hindi terms and explanations of Indian culture give a fascinating look at life in modern India and the societal limiations of girls and women.

My 11 year old daughter and I each read this book and came to the same conclusion -- time well spent. We loved it. She read it in one day. Once you begin, you just can't put it down. So many trials are faced and ultimately triumphed over. Koly is a wonderful heroine -- realistic and admirable. The amazing thing to me is that this story takes place in modern times. At first I thought I was reading a story from long ago but then a computer was mentioned. How horrifying that this goes on in our world today. We highly recommend this book.

I work in a children's book store and have read many children's books. This book is by far one of my favorites for this age level. The story is moving and Whelan really has a talent for making her charaters come alive with her wonderful description and dialogue. I was impressed and moved by this book -- what can I say, I'm a sucker for these type of endings. I strongly reccomend this book!