science fiction

Thank God! At last a book that goes beyond standard cliches describing the religious life as life in the confessional! Mary Doria Russell has written an exquisite book that is deep, rich and intelligent. The Sparrow is the haunting story of a Jesuit priest searching for the basis of his own faith in a shocking and stunning first contact story set on an alien planet. This is no superficial science fiction story, but a brilliant exploration of the depth of friendship, the exhuberance of discovery, the pain of loss and love betrayed, and the anguish of decision making in a new context. You will cme to know these characters as your friends, real flesh and blood people. What happens to them out there feels very real and quite possible. Russell has given us a taste of what it means to be a missionary in a strange land. She shows us new worlds and a mirror for our souls. The Sparrow is a superb book, sensitive, wise, and exciting. A must read!

"The Sparrow" is an amazing work of semi-religious fiction that seeks to answer important questions about the nature of the world that we live in. The author, Mary Doria Russell, uses the plot to provoke these questions by investigating the nature of tragedy and the human response to it. In the beginning of the book (set sixty years in the future), the reader is told that there has been a recent mission to a newly discovered planet named Rakhat. A society of Jesuits, independent of government control, had elected to send eight people from Earth to interact with extraterrestrial life on Rakhat. Right away, it is explained that the mission was a failure; seven people died on Rakhat and the one that returned was in very bad condition both physically and emotionally. The Jesuits are faced with an important moral dilemma: how could they continue worship a God that would allow this to happen? Ironically, this is the same question that Americans are asking in response to the September 11 terrorist attacks. As the story begins to unfold, Russell offers an answer in the form of "the sparrow," an important symbol in this book. She has one of the characters quote Matthew 10:29, which says, "Not one sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it." Her point, however, is that the sparrow falls nonetheless. The story goes on to explain what happened on Rakhat to cause this tragedy and holds you in suspense as you learn the fate of the lone survivor.

Russell leaves you with an important lesson in this book that will stick with you long after you forget the details of the plot. Russell says that even though bad things happen, we shouldn't let them discourage us or destroy our faith. The only danger in faith in God, Russell asserts, is believing in a God that micromanages the world in order to save people from danger. In an interview at the end of the book, she states that one of the things that she's learned from Judaism is that God won't be there to rescue you, especially in light of events like the Holocaust or Sept. 11. Still, Russell challenges readers to continue believing in God long after they've discarded the image of divine protector by maturing to a faith that realizes that God is present even in the midst of tragedy as the force that guides us back to life, love, and wholeness. Once again, I think that's a very timely lesson to learn in light of September 11.

I definitely recommend this book because, in my opinion, it has many outstanding qualities. First, the plot is exciting, dramatic, and extremely suspenseful. Also, the characters are well developed and very likable; I know I am going to read the sequel because I'm still thinking about the characters even though I've been done with the book for two weeks. Most importantly, however, the moralistic undertones in this book are priceless. The best works of fiction always contain a lesson woven into the plot; "The Sparrow" certainly has an important one. It is truly a poignant, ethical, and captivating story.

What a truly amazing book! I think it must be close to the best book I've ever read. Although it's classed as science fiction, it's better described as a book that examines the soul of man and the nature of faith, and I've never seen it done better. There will be people who don't "get" this book and will consider her writing juvenille in places but then again there are people who consider Picasso unskilled. Buy this book and enjoy.