Homeless Bird: A National Book Award Winner

Gloria Whelan

Oct 2009 · Sold by Harper Collins

About this ebook

The National Book Award-winning novel about one remarkable young woman who dares to defy fate, perfect for readers who enjoyed A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park or Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai. 

Like many girls her age in India, thirteen-year-old Koly faces her arranged marriage with hope and courage. But Koly's story takes a terrible turn when in the wake of the ceremony, she discovers she's been horribly misled—her life has been sold for a dowry. Can she forge her own future, even in the face of time-worn tradition? 

Perfect for schools and classrooms, this universally acclaimed, bestselling, and award-winning novel by master of historical fiction Gloria Whelan is a gripping tale of hope that will transport readers of all ages.

Ratings and reviews

Book review for Homeless Bird Homeless bird by Gloria Whelan is a powerful statement to young women both in and out of India. This book explains that love is not something you should have to pay for it comes from your heart. As the story progress the author draws you in so close your nose is touching the book. Koly, when she is married, is stuck living with her evil sass (mother-in-law). This book makes you understand that even though you are married it does not mean you are happy. This powerful force draws you in culturally so that you feel as if you where indeed a 13 year old girl living in India. This book makes me want to read others of hers hoping that this wonderful style carries on.

And I still love this book now. It is such a good "pick-me-up" when life gets you down. Koly is such a determined and resourceful girl who finds her way through many sorrows.

A young girl in India forced into an arranged marriage, must learn how to survive, becoming a widow, dealing with a hateful mother in law and being abandoned in an unfamiliar city.

About the author

Gloria Whelan is the bestselling author of many novels for young readers, including Homeless Bird, winner of the National Book Award; Fruitlands: Louisa May Alcott Made Perfect; Angel on the Square; Burying the Sun; Once on This Island, winner of the Great Lakes Book Award; and Return to the Island. She lives in the woods of northern Michigan.