The strength to say no : one girl's fight against forced marriage / Rekha Kalindi with Mouhssine Ennaimi ; translated from the French by Sarah Lawson.

First published in French in 2012 as: La force de dire non.

Translated from the French.

The true story of one girl who said no to tradition, and the effect it had upon a nation. In a remote village in Bengal, 11-year-old Rekha and her large family lived by rolling handmade cigarettes. She frequently observed the abrupt departure of her friends to go live with their mothers-in-law, where they were often treated like slaves and denied an education. In spite of her youth, Rekha was aware of the harm done to these little girls. When her parents tried to marry her off, Rekha went from village to village to tell her story, and especially to explain the tragic consequences of early marriages. Her story gained national attention with India's newspaper hailing her for accomplishing change that the India government was incapable of making. Her exemplary journey gained her the recognition of the highest courts in the land, she has had an audience with the Indian President, and she is a recipient of India's National Bravery Award.