Debut of A Year of Starless Nights

Loose Leaves is pleased to announce our first YA title, A Year of Starless Nights by new author D. S. Milan. It's an important story that will entertain each reader as much as a Bollywood movie.

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.

The embroidered stars (done by our own cover designer, Megan Eichenlaub) on the cover are a nod to Shilpi's stint in an airless, lightless sweatshop where girls her age and younger must sew mirrors onto fabric or face the wrath of the Executioner. Learn more about the combination of serious issues with fun adventures in this novel in an interview with the author, soon to appear right here.

A Year of Starless Nights is available in Kindle, Nook, and Kobo and in softcover from Loose Leaves, at Amazon, and Barnes and Noble, or request it at your favorite bookstore or library.