Homeless Bird

Homeless Bird

Gloria Whelan

2000 * p. 212 * YA Multicultural Fiction

Homeless Bird is the story of 13 year old Koly who lives in India. Her family is poor, but loving. Koly is now at the age where she can be married, and soon her parents come into contact with another family who wish their son to be married to Koly. They live far away and Koly has never seen her husband-to-be, Hari. Hari's parents have told Koly and her parents that he is sixteen and will be a good match. However, after they are married and meet Koly and Hari meet face to face, they discover that Hari is deathy ill and the same age as Koly, maybe younger. But they are married, and worse than a deceitful marriage, is bringing shame to the family. So Koly stays with Hari and his parents.

On their wedding night, Koly sleeps next to her sister-in-law Chandra and is not allowed to even rarely speak to her husband:

"I slept very little that night, kept awake by my longing for my home and by Hari's coughing in the next room. As I lay there in the strange house, I felt like a newly caged animal that rushes about looking for the open door that isn't there. I thought I might be able to endure one day in my new home and perhaps two, but I did not see how I could live there for the rest of my life" (24).

Poor Koly's circumstances only get worse. I can't even imagine getting married at age 13 to a sickly boy, living with in-laws that I had never met, being treated unkindly, and never being able to go home for fear of shaming my family.

Hari's parents only had Hari marry Koly to get her dowry so they could take Hari to a holy city and be cured. But Hari is not cured, and dies. Koly is a widow at 13 and must wear the traditional white widow's sari. Now, Koly must live with her in-laws. Her sister-in-law leaves and is married, her father-in-law soon dies, and so Koly is left with her cruel mother-in-law--Sass. Koly is now 17. They are destitute.

Sass and Koly head for a new place to live with Sass's brother. But they stop at Vrindiavan, a holy city. Sass gives Koly some money to buy food for them. When Koly returns, Sass is gone. She has left without her and deserted her in the holy city. Koly is all alone, with little money, nowhere to stay, no friends or family.

Homeless Bird is a wonderful book, and though depressing, it still seems lighthearted. What really struck me is that this is a modern-day book. It is not written about a character that lived in India 100 years ago. It is a realistic, mulitcutluralistic account of life for a teenage widow. Since marriage is everything, to be widowed is to think your life is over. That is the real depressing aspect of the novel: to think that your life is over at 13 and that the rest of your life will be spent as a servant, unloved and poor.

Though I won't share the end, it does end happily. It is a wonderful insight into Indian culture and many terms are use throughout the book. (A glossary of terms is explained at the back of the book.) I loved it. The text is big and the pages are small making it a fast and interesting read.

-Reading level: age 11 & up

-Easy read.

-A reference to a bhang and drug use.

-Appropriate for all ages.

-Glimpse into the Indian culture.

-Themes of hope, endurance, respect and shame.

-National Book Award Winner.