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Summary: Good Book! : )
Review: This is a great book !It is about a 13 year old widow as she is trying to grow up with the fact she has lost her husband.When she becomes a widow she believes her life has gone to a total waste and that no one will respect her the way they did.Will she come through?You will have to find out for yourself.
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Summary: Bird Finds a Home
Review: 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.
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Summary: Homeless Bird
Review: This story, in first person narrative, tells of thirteen year old Koly's life in tradtional Indian society. This point of view not only appeals to children because it allows them to directly associate with Koly, but it also limits the judgements made about traditional Indian society. Since Koly mentions details like arranged marriages in a matter-of-fact tone without any judgements, it makes these new ideas easier to accept. Whelan lived in India for a period of time, so although she is not Indian, she has some direct knowledge of the society. Therefore, she carefully depicts the possible realities of traditional Indian society. This story is obviously not something that every thirteen year old Indian girl will experience. However, it seems like a realistic depiction of what a girl under these specific circumstances would experience. The characters are well developed with complex backgrounds and motivations. Even Sass, Koly's mother in law who dislikes her, is not completely evil; Koly tries to guess at why Sass hates her and her motivations. Sass is therefore shown as human and not simply evil. Koly herself is constantly changing and learning new things from her experiences. The motivations and backgrounds of the characters make them believable and sympathetic. Whelan has several themes in this story. First she deals with the problems of arranged marriages. Although, she shows some arranged marriages that work, she also shows that there are situations that are harmful too. This controversial topic is handled in a very open and forthright manner. Very few judgements on the actual practice of arranged marriage are made. Instead, Whelan questions how this institution can be misused by some people and harmful to some people. For example, leaving widows at Vrindayan. However, she also tells about a girl growing up and finding her place in society. This theme has universal implications and Koly's desire to no longer be a "homeless bird" is something that all readers can relate.
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Summary: The sunny life
Review: I like the Homeless Bird beacuse it wanted me to read on. This was an interresting book that I have read. I liked the sequence of the chapters.I liked how the autor of the book made all the characters. The characters were acting in this story. I hope to read more books of the autor in the future.
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Summary: Homeless Bird
Review: A young girl named Koly is arranged to marry a sick boy who is awaiting his death. Not very long after she gets married her husband dies and Koly is stuck doing all the work around the house. Koly's only friend is Chandra her late husbands sister. Soon Chandra leaves to get married and Koly wants to run away. Until her father-in law dies. Koly's mother-in law takes Koly to a city full of widows and leaves her there. Now Koly has to learn to live in a society which does not respect women and to make a living or die. I read this book for a reading project. I think it's a really good book, that everyone should read. This book teaches about how much easier we have it in America.
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Summary: Great Book!
Review: One of the best books i've ever read. Nicely written, Whelan can almost put you into the book. Homeless Bird has a great plot and deserves all 5 stars!
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Summary: Rivetting
Review: Homeless Bird may be a fiction story of a young Indian girl, but Whelan has cleverly woven it from real social issues facing India today. The concept of a young girl married to a young boy with TB so that her dowry may be used to buy medical treatment is a subject of fascination and interest to middle school students at my school. I read a great deal of YA fiction as a middle school media specialist, and I enjoyed this story as an adult. Whelan has crafted a good tale with exotic detail that sweeps the reader across the world. Boys and girls alike enjoy this story in which Koly is able to use her creative talents to rise from a near impossible situation. Adult issues are addressed from a child's point of view and it is done well in this YA novel. The artwork on the cover is especially noteworthy. It is the exact right size to zoom in with a macro lens and tape for a booktalk. The girl in the drawing looks exotic and mysterious and there is a look of yearning on her face that arouses the interest of readers. This is truly an example of a book cover that is an excellent and fitting visual introduction to a truly engaging tale.
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Summary: great read
Review: My 13-year-old daughter, loved this book. Our resulting conversations on women's roles in diffent cultures and different times have been as rewarding as the read.
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Summary: A great read- for all ages
Review: 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.
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Summary: This is a good book, especially for a quick read
Review: The main character, Koly, has an arranged marriage to Hari, a boy who is sick and has a mean mother. I read the book very quickly, which was fun.The plot includes the boy getting sick. Eventually Koly becomes a widow, and widows are dispised. My mother bought this book in December and gave it to me to read when I was sick with the flu. I was surprised how easy it was to read, even when I wasn't feeling very well. i recommend this book for people who enjoy a good story that is easy to read.
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