Homeless Bird by Whelan, Gloria

Recommended for Grade 5

(Page last edited 10/09/2017)

• Title: Homeless Bird
• Author: Whelan, Gloria
• ISBN: 0064408191
• ISBN 13: 978-0064408196

Image:

Description:

Forced to leave her family at thirteen and marry someone she has never met ...

Koly's parents have arranged a marriage for their only daughter and now, like many girls her age in India, she will leave home forever. She yearns to flee, but tradition dictates that it's too late to turn back. On her wedding day, Koly's fate is sealed.

Caught up in a current of tradition that threatens to sweep her toward a terrifying fate, Koly finds herself cast out, lost in a strange and cruel world. But sometimes, courage and hope can be more powerful than tradition, and fate can be taken into one's own hands.

Books for the Teen Age 2001 (NYPL) and 2000 National Book Award Winner

Review (From Amazon.Com):

"What if I don't like him?"
"Of course you will like him."
"But what if I don't?"
Maa impatiently slapped at a fly. "Then you must learn to like him."

But Koly never gets a chance to find out if she does care for her intended groom. Married and promptly widowed at 13, Koly finds herself in the grim position of being cast out by a society that has no place for girls like her. With a seemingly hopeless future in India, this courageous and spirited young woman sets out to forge her own destiny. Through perseverance, resourcefulness, and sheer luck, she manages not only to find a niche for herself, but even to find happiness again.

Gloria Whelan's tale of a remarkable girl in an extraordinary situation will linger with the reader long after the last page is read. The shaping of Koly's life, as anyone's, is in her own hands, as well as the hands of the society in which she lives. Her ability to express herself--and ultimately support herself--with her exceptional skill in embroidery is a symbol of the creative ingenuity that will serve her well throughout her tribulations. (Ages 8 and older) --Emilie Coulter

You can help support the mission of Internet4Classrooms at no additional charge when you buy this or other books from Amazon.Com using this link: Homeless Bird