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The Sparrow  By  cover art

The Sparrow

By: Mary Doria Russell
Narrated by: David Colacci
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Publisher's summary

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.

©2008 Mary Doria Russell (P)2008 Brilliance Audio

Critic reviews

“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)

Featured Article: The best audiobooks about aliens for curious humans


Throughout the history of storytelling, we humans have been curious about the possibility of worlds beyond Earth and its inhabitants. Thanks to our endless fascination with extraterrestrial life, there is a mountain of literature, from novels to memoirs, exploring the potential outcomes of interacting with creatures from other planets. Without further ado, here are 20 of our favorite listens about alien life.

What listeners say about The Sparrow

Average customer ratings
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  • JZ
  • 12-04-21

Wow again!

I have read this book many, many times over the last two decades. I love every character, and every word written. I dare say I will read it again and love it again! The characters are now part of my imaginary world. When next I miss them, I will look forward to greeting them again.

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    5 out of 5 stars

Wow. Just ... wow.

The story unfolds like a rose, but you will gasp at what is held in the center. Beautifully researched and written, with characters that will stay in your head for a long time to come. Treat yourself to this story for SF fans with a taste for a brew of science, sociology, religion and the nature of civilization.

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  • Overall
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    5 out of 5 stars

Thoughtfully twisted

The sparrow was good but you never know what’s around the next corner. It starts off as a group of friends getting to know each other, turns into an intelligent interplanetary exploration, and ends as something much deeper and darker. Highly recommend but definitely some heavy themes towards the end.

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We’ll done

I don’t leave many five star reviews, but the book was well written, well, narrated and quite thought-provoking.

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  • Overall
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Dang, messed up ... but good book

as sad as this book was, it had a hopeful ending where even an old man can overcome an incredible trauma. crazy book.

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Profound

The story, the pathos, the beautiful words make this a substantial book in my library, even more so after this thoughtful narration. A work to contemplate for a long long time.

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Raw Tragedy

Pacing left me constantly wondering how events in the story occurred. Had earned the title of one of my favorite books of all time. Now if you excuse me, I'm going to buy the sequel.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Extremely well written!

This was an extremely interesting, unique, and well crafted book. I never really knew just how bad-ass the Jesuits were until I read this.

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3 people found this helpful

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  • T
  • 06-29-16

Intelligent and provocative

The Sparrow is refreshingly deep, with a very human intensity, yet without being overly heavy. The book explores faith without being preachy or dull. The character development is good, pacing comfortable, and flashbacks handled well.

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2 people found this helpful

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rocks you to your core

Would you consider the audio edition of The Sparrow to be better than the print version?

No, but it's a great companion.

Any additional comments?

This is one of my all-time favorite books, it will truly make you think about what it means to be human. Listening to the audio version gave me a welcome new angle on the story. Sometimes, the volume is too low, but overall, the story is performed extremely well.

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2 people found this helpful