First published 1997
In 2019, a Jesuit mission to a newly discovered alien world ends in tragedy. When the sole survivor, Father Emilio Sandoz, returns to Earth, he is a broken man, his faith shattered. The Sparrow follows Emilio's harrowing journey, from the excitement of first contact to the horror that follows, as he struggles to make sense of the unthinkable. With vivid characters, nail-biting tension, and profound emotional stakes, this dazzling novel explores the timeless questions of how we find meaning in the face of suffering.
Genres: fiction, drama, science-fiction, literary-fiction
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, shattered-faith
Setting: Earth
Period: 2019
408 pages · Hardcover · Villard
Content warnings: emotional-abuse, violence