A Year of Starless Nights
Shilpi is a spirited thirteen year old girl -- too old to be a bride. Her parents, unable to take care of her any longer, seek out an old man from a faraway village who agrees to be Shilpi's "husband." She quickly learns that the real master of the house is not the husband, but his twisted grown daughter, who tries to use Shilpi as her personal slave. Inspired by a female doctor and the romance of Bollywood, a bold Shilpi dares to demand the unthinkable: respect for herself and for all women. This exciting novel leads the reader on one daring girl's journey, combining the romantic dreams of every thirteen year old girl with the harsh and demeaning realities that face too many girls and young women who have no choice but to live in these oppressed societies.