Silver Sparrow

A Novel

By: Tayari Jones

Narrated by: Rosalyn Coleman Williams, Heather Alicia Simms

Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

Set in a middle-class neighborhood in Atlanta in the 1980s, Silver Sparrow revolves around James Witherspoon's two families - the public one and the secret one. When the daughters from each family meet and form a friendship, only one of them knows they are sisters. It is a relationship destined to explode when secrets are revealed and illusions shattered. As Jones explores the backstories of her rich yet flawed characters - the father, the two mothers, the grandmother, and the uncle - she also reveals the joy, as well as the destruction, they brought to one another's lives. At the heart of it all are the two lives at stake, and like the best writers - think Toni Morrison with The Bluest Eye - Jones portrays the fragility of these young girls with raw authenticity as they seek love, demand attention, and try to imagine themselves as women, just not as their mothers.

©2011 Tayari Jones. All rights reserved. (P)2011 AudioGo

A wonderfully thought provoking novel !

I read this book as the November read for the Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club, I absolutely loved this book, I know it is different from her earlier „American Marriage“ which I absolutely enjoyed as well.

Set in Atlanta, 'Silver Sparrow' grabbed my attention from the first page and ensured that I read through the night to finish the story.
Just why did I find the story of a family in the 1980s so fascinating? Well, the story concerns the interconnected lives of Dana and Chaurisse, two young black girls, growing up in a time of great change and the fight for rights. Although Chaurisse is largely unaware, the two girls are half-sisters as they share a father, who in fact is a bigamist and married to both of their mothers. I read Elizabeth Acevedo‘s „Clap when you land“ this summer and loved discovering similarities and things the authors had done differently.
„Silver Sparrow“ is told by first the perspective of Dana and then Chaurisse as they look back on their lives and realise the roles played by their parents.

This book is a thought provoking novel which raises the questions of love and duty. Along with the roles enforced by society and how people react.
A wonderfully written book and well worth reading. I will be following up with more of Tayari Jones's work.

BRAVO

well written. told as if it was a life story being revealed. its wasn't predictive. could not just guess what the character would do and that's real life that's what makes you continue to "read"

Surprisingly a great book

I looked forward to listening to this book every night !!!
Loved it !!! check it out for sure

Sad But True

This story has a pathology that repeats itself regularly. Unfortunately, it represents desperation, competition, complacency, neediness and a desire to belong.. it happens far too often..

great book for reading on a rainy day

great book for a rainy curled upon the couch with a cup of hot coco.

Thrilling

I couldn't wait to get to the end to find out how things worked out! An absolutely wonderful book! The narration was excellent as well! Well done!

Poignant

Beautifully written, beautifully narrated, desperately human.

This book is gripping, entertaining, and devastating. I recommend it.

A little disappointed

This review will not give away the storyline, but I was disappointed at some of the events that took place in this book… You decide for yourself.

Fantastic!

A completely engaging story. And Rosalyn Coleman Williams is an especially good narrator! A great listen.

One of the best stories I haven’t read yet.

This is a very good book. The storyline is easy to follow. The characters are believable! I enjoyed it from beginning to end. It keeps you wishing for more and better, but the surprises keep coming.