It is when a girl named Koly is forced to get married to a guy named Hari.
I hope to read more of Gloria Whelan, and see where this Detroit, Michigan, USA writer might believably take me to next. Its conclusion didn't feel manipulated but rather was a good story creatively written. And while the book concludes with a happy ending, it's what I wanted to happen for her. Unlike other books I've read where a child is the main protagonist, I didn't feel that it was a grown author trying to write as a child might think and act, but thought that Koly was an authentic three-dimensional child character. The changes that Koly experiences, through hunger and despair to the kindness of others, also stand out. Their hopes, sadness, exuberance and need all stood out. I could picture not only Koly, but also her family, in-laws and friends in the streets of Vrindavan, a city of refuge for poverty stricken widows of all ages. Koly's stolen childhood, due to a deceitful marriage at age 12, and her rising to the challenge presented by young widowhood is well carved by the author. At first I thought that she had lived in India, and was surprised to find out she had never been there, that her well woven, and interwoven tale resulted from a lot of investigation and good, dedicated writing. First, I hadn't known that the National Book Award was given for young people's literature, and secondly, the book impressed me so much that I read the author's biography to find out more about her. Gloria Whelan's "The Homeless Bird" was a well-received read.
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