Sass told Koly to go get the man to stop the rickshaw and let them get on and he did. They got on a train and stopped somewhere. One day she told Koly that they had no money so they had to sell some of their belongings to go to Sass’s brother’s place. Later, Sassur, the father, dies and that’s when Chandra’s mom, Sass, gets letters from her brothers and hides them from Koly. Hari later gets sick and dies so now Koly is a widow. 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.

Homeless bird author