The Sparrow, Mary Doria Russell
The Sparrow, Mary Doria Russell
20 Rating(s)
List: $44.99 | Sale: $31.50
Club: $22.49

The Sparrow

Author: Mary Doria Russell

Narrator: David Colacci

Unabridged: 15 hr 7 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download (DRM Protected)

Published: 04/04/2008

Synopsis

A visionary work that combines speculative fiction with deep philosophical inquiry, The Sparrow tells the story of a charismatic Jesuit priest and linguist, Emilio Sandoz, who leads a scientific mission entrusted with a profound task: to make first contact with intelligent extraterrestrial life. The mission begins in faith, hope, and beauty, but a series of small misunderstandings brings it to a catastrophic end.Praise for The Sparrow“A startling, engrossing, and moral work of fiction.”—The New York Times Book Review “Important novels leave deep cracks in our beliefs, our prejudices, and our blinders. The Sparrow is one of them.”—Entertainment Weekly“Powerful . . . The Sparrow tackles a difficult subject with grace and intelligence.”—San Francisco Chronicle“Provocative, challenging . . . recalls both Arthur C. Clarke and H. G. Wells, with a dash of Ray Bradbury for good measure.”—The Dallas Morning News“[Mary Doria] Russell shows herself to be a skillful storyteller who subtly and expertly builds suspense.”—USA Today

About Mary Doria Russell

Mary Doria Russell is a paleoanthropologist with specialties in bone biology and biomechanics who has done extensive field work in Australia and Croatia. After quitting academia and writing computer manuals, she began work on The Sparrow, her first novel. She lives with her husband and son in Cleveland, Ohio.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Brad on February 21, 2009

I had wanted to read The Sparrow since its release back in 1996/1997. I had seen a review of it and loved the basic idea of future Jesuits being the first “missionaries” to make contact with the first sentient alien species discovered. But I lost that review and was never able to figure out the name......more

Goodreads review by Emily on December 19, 2019

If God is anything like a middle-class white chick from the suburbs, which i admit is a long shot, it's what you do about what feel that matters. (4.25?) This was a beautiful and heart wrenching book. The characters were attaching and you can't help but root for them... but also cry with them. An int......more

Goodreads review by Matt on January 14, 2020

I've hit page 199 of 'The Sparrow' and the viscosity of the text is increasing. By page 12, I had a lot of hope for this book. By page 88 I was really into the book, and thinking there was a good chance this was a 4 or 5 star book. At this point though, I'm not sure I can summon enough conviction up......more

Goodreads review by Maggie on February 25, 2018

What a strange, accomplished nautilus of a novel, every chamber containing both joy and tragedy.......more

Goodreads review by Candi on December 14, 2020

"What is a life worth living, and what is a life wasted, and why? What is worth dying for, what is worth living for, and why? What shall I teach my child to value, and what shall I urge that child to avoid, and why? What am I owed by others and what do I owe others, and why? Each human culture provi......more

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