Set against a 1960's backdrop leading up to Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan, THE CLAY BIRD tells the story of Anu, a boy sent away by his father to an Islamic school. Far from his family and the warmth of his region's Hindu festivities, Anu struggles to break out of his shell and adapt to the school's harsh monastic life. As the political divisions in the country intensify, an increasing split develops between the school's students, just as Anu's parents find themselves growing apart. Rather than be torn in half, Anu must decide which side he falls upon in this complex tale of tolerance, diversity, and the practice of Islam in a crises-ridden world.

Against the backdrop of political unrest in the late 1960's, Anou, a shy boy from rural East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), is sent off to madrasa by his religious father. There Anu struggles to adjust to the austere monastic life, quite different from the vibrancy and pagan festivity of his village. A growing rift between his parents in the village mirrors an increasing divide between moderate and extremist forces in the madrasa. While the conflicts in Anu's family and school intensify, growing political upheaval grips the country, culminating in the outbreak of civil war. Then, as his mother makes her own life choice, the once passive Anu finds a new path into adulthood.