Homeless Bird (Paperback)

by Gloria Whelan (Author) "Koly, you are thirteen and growing every day," Maa said to me..." (more)
Key Phrases: wedding sari, other widows, rich lady, Maa Kamala, Yamuna River, Lord Krishna (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"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 --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly
Whelan (Miranda's Last Stand) blends modern Hindu culture with age-old Indian traditions as she profiles a poor girl's struggle to survive in a male-dominated society. Only 13 when her parents find her a husband, Koly can't help feeling apprehensive about leaving home to live in a distant village with her in-laws and husband, none of whom she has met. The truth is worse than she could have feared: the groom, Hari, is a sickly child, and his parents have wanted only a dowry, not a wife for him, in order to pay for a trip to Benares so Hari might bathe in the holy waters of the Ganges. Koly is widowed almost immediately; later, she is abandoned in the holy city of Vrindavan by her cruel mother-in-law. Koly, likened to a "homeless bird" in a famous poem by Rabindranath Tagore, embodies the tragic plight of Hindu women without status, family or financial security. She is saved from a dismal fate by her love of beauty, her talent for embroidery and the philanthropy of others--and by Whelan's tidy plotting, which introduces a virtuous young man, a savvy benefactress and a just employer in the nick of time. The feminist theme that dominates the happily-ever-after ending seems more American than Indian, but kids will likely enjoy this dramatic view of an endangered adolescence and cheer Koly's hard-won victories. Ages 8-12. (Mar.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Library Binding edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (August 21, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0064408191
• ISBN-13: 978-0064408196
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (192 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #11,573 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bird Finds a Home, April 30, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Homeless Bird (Hardcover)

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.

33 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Factually wrong and paints a misleading picture of India., December 3, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Homeless Bird (Hardcover)

I grew up in India till the age of 24. I was very excited when I saw this book on the NY Times children's bestseller list and bought it for my daughter. However, the excitement soon turned to complete shock and and utter disgust. People of Indian origin have discussed this book and absolutely detest it. The facts are wrong and contradictory, and it portrays a picture of India which is very misleading. It is akin to an Indian writer writing a book for Indian children based in the US where the protagonist is raped by her father - yes, it happens in rare instances in the US, but it is rare, and it is not something that we make the topic of a children's book. Let me point out some factual mistakes - (1) holi is portayed as a festival where people mix color with cow urine and spray it on each other - this is so absurd that when I showed it to other Indians, we were in splits of laughter. On holi, we put natural colored powders like turmeric, or colored flour on each other. Children also have water gun and water baloon fights (just like in the United States), (2) the girl calls her father "baap". This is very unlikely to happen in India. It is a very disrespectful form of addressing a father, (3) the girl protagonist's (Koli's) parents are too poor to feed her but can give a dowry to marry her (the people who want the dowry can afford to feed her, so presumably the dowry is more than the cost of feeding the girl). I wondered whether I could have been mistaken about (1)-(3) - after all, the book has won a prestigious award and presumably they checked on the facts. I assumed that the author had lived in India or had at least travelled there. I found an interview with the author (...)Gloria Whelan very proudly claims that she lives in the wilderness of Northern Michigan and her research on India was limited to local libraries. The book sells based on a heart-wrenching picture of a girl in this poor, downtrodden, third-world country, who fights against all odds to find happiness - I thought that type of theme was reserved for Silhoutte romances, not children's books that go on to win medals - incidentally, didn't the committee for the 2000 National Book Award for Young People's Literature, or the publisher verify the facts of the novel?

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great read- for all ages, January 11, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Homeless Bird (Hardcover)

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.