Gloria Whelan's Homeless Bird is a pleasant enough story. Predictable and pleasant. It is a fast read and Koly is a likable protagonist.But shortly after beginning the book I stopped to research the author. As I suspected after my first few pages of reading, Whelan herself is neither Indian or of Indian ancestry and has never traveled to India. I believe that it IS possible for writers to write successfully outside of their own experiences, but I am EXTREMELY wary of authors who attempt to write of places, cultures, social classes, and experiences that are not their own, nor even similar. To do so requires incredible amounts of research, intense self-reflection, a willingness to consult and learn from others who are more knowledgeable, and an intentional effort to present a truthful, unbiased reflection of reality -- even in the writing of fiction. In fiction like Homeless Bird, the setting is taken as truth by an audience, in this case most likely American children, who may not have the knowledge or experience to spot cultural misrepresentations. As a white woman living in the woods of northern Michigan who has never traveled to India, it is possible that Whelan could write a truthful reflection of India culture and customs. But, I have a gut feeling telling me to be concerned. Whelan's own words, from her website, don't bring me any comfort. She says, "Sometimes I write about places that are far away or about earlier times. This gives me a chance to live in other countries and in other times -- at least in my head. The research for these books is like a treasure hunt, I never know what I'm going to find. I’ve made imaginary trips to China, India, and Vietnam." As a reader, I want to know that these imaginary adventures into the "exotic" are supported by hard researched, intensely fact checked effort. I am unconvinced.I lived and worked in India for a portion of this year and I worked with children Koly's age coming from villages and families like Koly's. India is a big place and a vast array of experiences coexist within India culture and customs. Arranged marriages, dowries, and child brides still exist (as does sati -- ceremonial widow burning -- which Whelan seems to deny as something of the past no longer practiced (pg. 34-35)). Similarly, urban life does include Indians dressed in jeans and t-shirts, air-conditioning, and opportunistic men and women (who exist everywhere in most cultures). To me, reading Koly's story felt like a Western voice telling an Eastern story. It did not feel like an Indian voice, born and raised in Indian culture, telling her own story in her own voice.And that is big problem because Homeless Bird is a National Book Award winner, which means it is frequently used in classrooms, likely as "diversity enhancement." And to read of Indian culture in an inauthentic voice is dangerous and disrespectful. There is so much wonderful literature written by Indian writers, and I am nervous what half-truths and misperceptions might be taken away from a reading of this book by young people, particularly if their teacher is not him- or herself aware of the potential pitfalls of including a text like this in the curriculum without intense critical reflection and the addition of other primary sources.Overall, I enjoyed the story, but it threw up red flags for me about the authentic representation of Indian life and culture.
Homeless Bird by Gloria Whelanis about a girl named Koly who lives in a poor village in India; and she is 13 years old and she has to get married so that the food in her house could go around. So they marry her off to a "16 year old", but in reality he is 13 years old and he is very sick. Her mother-in-law is very cruel to her because she does not want her to see her husband, they want to take Hari (her husband) to "the Holy Ganges" to heal him.Turns out that Hari dies and Koly has to live with her mother-in-law and father-in-law because she can'tgo back to live with her parents because"it would bring shame to the family",or as koly says. One quote from the book that captured me was on page75,"It was about a flock of birds flying day and night through the skies.Amomg them was one homeless bird, always flying on to somewhere else",page 75.I can connest to this quote because I can imagine myself as the "homeless bird"because I am always going "somewhere else" without any home to go to. Koly (our main character)thinks thinks she is a"homeless bird"because she is very lonely in the book,her family is in another village , her mother-in-law hates her, and to top it all offher husband is dead.I would hate to live that way because because my life would be so miserable,I would give this book a 10 because it was never boring at all.One theme of the book is family because you don't have to be blood-realatedto be family becausein the book her sister-in-law was like her very own sisterbecause she did everything one did. Homeless Bird is kind of like the book of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee because Koly is a "homeless bird" and so is Boo Radely because no one ever listened to Boo like Koly.I guess at the end Koly and Boo both found the home they were looking for.
What do You think about Homeless Bird (2001)?
After reading Homeless Bird I felt like sighing. Not because I was relieved it was over, no just the opposite. I've read a lot of boring and mediocre books lately, it was a relief to finally read a good one. Homeless Bird wasn't just good, it was a wonderful, deeply moving novel that kept me engrossed from begining to end. The main character is Koly, a thirteen-year-old girl living in India. Her parents are looking for a husband for her, who's family will take her in despite her small dowry. Koly's family is poor and there isn't enough food to go around. Koly knows it is her duty to marry, so when a husband is found she feels a mix of apprehension and excitment about what the future has in store. She meets her husband, Hari, for the first time at the wedding. Her parents leave and Koly knows she'll never see her family again. She soon realizes that Hari's family tricked her into an ill-fated marriage. Her new husband is a very sick boy who dies soon after they're married. Koly is like a slave in her in-laws house, doing all the chores, and her mother-in-law is mean and impossible to please. Koly is a very strong heroine, hardworking and eager to learn. She is skilled at embroidery, something her mother taught her, and is happiest when embroidering her memories into quilts. The story is well paced and we follow Koly through all her struggles and hardships, getting a glimpse into a different culture. Whelan's writing was eloquent and the novel was filled with beautiful imagery. Koly's voice was honest and I felt for her deeply. I loved Homeless Bird, it was an excellent novel- the National Book Award it won proves it- and it is definitely a must read.
—Samantha
This is such an inspiring story of finding home. I could not put it down until I finished it. I've met Gloria Whelan, who lives in MI, and she's a wonderful lady. It's fascinating that she can weave such seamless tales of different places and cultures using her own research and imagination. I was amazed to learn what happens to widows in parts of India, left to starve, homeless and often penniless. It's shameless and cruel. But the real heart of the story is in the innocent and somewhat naïve but endearing main character Koly as she discovers herself and decides what she wants for her life. I believe she's a kindred spirit with her love of reading poetry and making art.
—Angela Kidd Shinozaki
please don't arrange my marriage.and if you must, please don't marry me off to some sickly bitchy thing who will soon die and trap me in my inlaws' house where i will be a burden and where they will treat me like a servant but i won't have anywhere else to go until they in turn ditch me in some creepy city where discarded widows try to make a go of it. just don't do it.it is the worst.this book is pretty good, but my warrior-liberated-woman parts gag when confronted with these types of situations. i am very fortunate to have options and all, but it just makes me angry to see how few opportunities other people have. i am pretty sure this makes me an obnoxious, racist american, but it makes me want to distribute cassette tapes of joan jett and pat benatar to these little girls and dance with them in the streets in perfectly choreographed defiance...i assume this is also how to achieve world peace.
—karen
