The Fattening Hut — Pat Lowery Collins

Helen doesn't want to stay in the fattening hut. She's told her mother that she's too young, not ready for it. Why must she marry so soon? She doesn't want to gorge on rich meals for months -- until she is round and heavy, like a good bride should be. Just like her mother and sister before her, just like all the women of her tribe. When she finds out the terrible secret the fattening hut harbors, she becomes even more confused and defiant. Lonely, scared, and feeling hemmed in by family, by culture, and by tradition, Helen fights for the chance to be educated, young, and free.