It is short and and it’s pretty easy to read. I do love historical fiction but this book in particular made an impression on me. It is an incredibly moving story and one that I feel Will Uplift the reader. I loved to see how her talent for embroidery was woven into the story. Koly's journey is a fascinating one and she is easy to care about. More then just vivid, the writing brings to life the Indian Culture, customs, birds and scenery in an utterly resplendent way that is rare to see. You can read the description but this book is really all about the writing which is a tapestry of words and reads like one long poem. This is one of those books that I’m reluctant to talk about. Koly’s story will Resonate with anyone of any age so though this may be classified as young adults or children, I would urge anybody of any age to read the book especially people who loves Historical fiction and in particular Indian fiction.

'Immediately I knew that it would be the homeless bird, flying at last to it's home.' I embroidered vegetable stalls with purple eggplants and green melons.' (Mar.'I stitched the marketplace stalls heaped with turmeric and cinnamon and cumin and mustard. 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. 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. 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. Koly is widowed almost immediately later, she is abandoned in the holy city of Vrindavan by her cruel mother-in-law. 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. 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. 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.

Homeless bird by gloria whelan