The Sparrow

“The Sparrow” is listed by io9 (http://io9.com) as one of “The Twenty Science Fiction Novels that Will Change Your Life”. The story follows the journey of a Jesuit priest, Emilio Sandoz, as he and a group of friends/associates he considers to be family make first contact with an alien species. This is a powerful story, challenging most notions of what extra terrestrial species would be like.

This is a second (or maybe third) read for me of “The Sparrow”. I've reread it this time with the sole purpose of being able to review it for Goodreads. I found the character of Emilio to be amazing. Here is a man who, growing up in a poverty ridden community, is “rescued” by a Jesuit priest. He is so influenced by D.W., he joins the Jesuits and becomes a priest. During the course of the book, he admits to never receiving a “calling” from God. In fact, he isn't even sure he is a total believer. As the events unfold to send him and his friends to the newly discovered planet, he begins to change his perception. That is, until misunderstandings and miscommunications on Rakhat take a tragic turn and he finds himself the victim of the unthinkable. The Sparrow is a story about faith gained and faith lost, packaged in a beautifully written science fiction setting.