Homeless Bird

Like many girls her age in India, 13-year-old Koly is wed to a stranger whom her parents have chosen. In the wake of her marriage, however, Koly's life takes an unexpected turn, and she finds herself alone in a strange city of white-sari-clad widows. Her only choice seems to be to shed her name and her future and join the hopeless hordes who chant for food. "An insightful, beautifully written, culturally illuminating tale"-Booklist.