I Kick and I Fly

As a member of Bihar, India’s disparaged Nat caste, 14-year-old Heera is subject to the tyrannical Ravi Lala, who rules Heera’s neighborhood through fearmongering and money-lending. If Heera remains in school, however, she can avoid being forced into sex work at Lalten Bazaar, or the Girls Bazaar, to help pay off family debts, like many other girls in her cohort. But when Heera is expelled for defending herself from a bullying classmate, her father prepares to sell Heera to Ravi Lala. That is until Rini Di, a hostel owner and martial artist dedicated to empowering young women, steps in—Rini offers to teach Heera kung fu so she can compete in a tournament for a cash prize, a suggestion to which Heera’s parents agree. As Heera betters her fighting skills, she also comes face-to-face with the horrors that girls in her community endure, determining to use her newfound strength to help them. While convenient plotting sometimes requires a suspension of disbelief, debut author Gupta renders Heera’s perseverance amid grueling circumstances via straightforward prose and imbues this searing tale with an ominous ambiance that complements its dark themes. Ages 12–up. (Apr.)