Description

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell (2004 ed.)

Mary Doria Russell’s The Sparrow is a profound and unsettling novel that blends science fiction, theology, and first‑contact storytelling to explore faith, suffering, and the limits of human understanding. Set in the near future, the novel follows a Jesuit‑led scientific mission to Rakhat, a distant planet whose haunting radio transmissions suggest intelligent life.

At the center of the story is Father Emilio Sandoz, a linguist and priest who returns to Earth as the sole survivor of the mission—physically broken, spiritually devastated, and accused of unspeakable acts. As the truth of what happened on Rakhat is slowly revealed, Russell alternates between the hopeful beginnings of the expedition and its catastrophic outcome, building a narrative of profound moral complexity.

The Sparrow confronts difficult questions about colonialism, cultural misunderstanding, free will, and the nature of God’s silence in the face of suffering. Both intimate and cosmic in scope, the novel challenges the idea that good intentions guarantee good outcomes.

A modern classic of literary science fiction, The Sparrow is a haunting meditation on belief, responsibility, and what it means to encounter the truly unknown.

Copyright: Originally published in 1996. This paperback copy was published by Ballantine Books in 2004 with cover art including “AUTHOR OF A THREAD OF GRACE” and “‘A startling, engrossing, and moral work of fiction.’ – The New York Times Book Review“.

Condition: Good. Vintage. 

ISBN-10: 0449912558

ISBN-13: 9780449912553

Dewey Decimal: 813.54