I Kick and I Fly
Book Trailer & Author Interviews
About the Book
In Bihar, India, fourteen-year-old Heera fears the fate of women in her community—being sold into the sex trade to repay family debts. Expelled from school and running out of time, she finds refuge at a hostel for at-risk girls, where learning kung fu transforms her sense of power. When she uncovers the location of her missing friend, Rosy, Heera undertakes a daring journey to New York to try to save her.
Read an Excerpt
Chapter 5: “After days of mourning, Mai returns to break stones on the highway. She says we can’t afford another day of no wages. We have loans to pay and food to buy. I’m ordered to stay at the hut with Sania, who is gurgling and happy, yet I can’t help but feeling entirely alone.
I have one eye trained to look out towards my uncle’s backroom, one ear attuned to the noises.
Finally, Mira Di comes by between clients. For once she is not drunk…"
"I believe in a world in which no child is bought or sold."
Recognition & Awards
Author & Advocate Praise:
“In I Kick and I Fly, Ruchira Gupta has given readers an irresistible story—and also one that could save lives.”
— Gloria Steinem
“Proof that if the heart is moved, so might be the positive activities for justice and freedom of the mind.”
— Alice Walker, author of The Color Purple
“Essential reading for anyone interested in how to empower girls to break free from intergenerational prostitution and sex trafficking.”
— Ashley Judd
“A powerhouse debut... Heera's story is a beacon of hope to a generation of young people trying to transform an unjust world.”
— Gayle Forman, NYT bestselling author
“Magnificent. Tender. Empowering. I challenge anyone to read Heera’s story and be unmoved.”
— Ayaan Mohamud, author of You Think You Know Me
“Visceral, prismatic detail... Heera herself anchors the tale and pulls us in.”
— Natalie C. Anderson, author of City of Saints & Thieves
“An incredibly moving story... the characters’ strength will stay with me.”
— Louisa Reid, author of Gloves Off
"This book is a call to action, it an invitation for the rest of us to rise from the pall of apathy and join the movement to fight and fight and keep fighting--until we retrieve the last girl from the ugly jaws of the very worst effects of the patriarchy."
— Staceyann Chin
Bookseller Love
“An immersive, honest, YA-appropriate novel... Must-read.”
“An intense, important novel. Heera is fierce and brave. A must-read for everyone.”
“Had me crying AND cheering on the subway. A powerful story about courage, community, and kicking ass.”
International Translations
Author's Message
I want to share this story with young people, especially and people of all ages in general, so they not only learn what some kids their age go through but also know how to find helpful clues to stand up to injustice. I want to show them that change is possible and that dreams can come true. I have learned firsthand how important grassroots communities and collective movement is in bringing about change. With I Kick and I Fly, I am passing the baton to you…
— Ruchira Gupta
Behind the Book
A knife at my throat. Girls kidnapped from a hostel I started in a red-light area. Standing in the UN, knees shaking, as I spoke to change a law. The stories girls and their mothers have trusted me with. The hunger, the menace, the small triumphs, the moments of courage in the face of danger. These moments thick with sights, sounds, fear, hope, and defiance are stitched into every page of I Kick and I Fly.
When you’ve lived something intense—whether it’s danger, joy, or injustice—you don’t just write what happened. You slow down and remember. The sound of footsteps behind you. The burn in your throat when you’re afraid. The smell of dust in a crowded street.
Then you ask yourself: What did I feel? What did I want? What was at stake? You translate real sensations and emotions into the inner life of your characters. That’s how lived moments become scenes that feel true, even in fiction.
I wrote from life I’ve lived and every scene carries that heartbeat.
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