Day 233: The Sparrow

I was taken by surprise in so many ways with this novel. I would have thought that a trope as common as first contact would have been done every way it can by now, but Mary Doria Russel's 'The Sparrow' puts a new spin on the old classic. The firmly character driven story is supported by Russel's deep insight into the inner life of her protagonists and an uncanny sense of balance in the structure of the novel, lending itself to the religious overtones of their voyage to another planet.

From the very beginning of the novel, the results of the voyage to the alien planet Rakhat and their devastating effects on the protagonist Emilio Sandoz are already known. He is a broken man, recently returned from the alien world, tortured by unknown events mentally and physically. His body has been ravaged by the long journey, destroyed by scurvy and neglect. The aliens he once called friends seem to have given him a torturous punishment by surgically altering his hands, a permanent reminder of some unknown transgression. He suffers constant migraines and panic attacks, and refuses to speak of the voyage. Perhaps worst of all, the Jesuit Priest has nearly lost his faith in God, broken down to his very soul. What events could have transpired to destroy a man so thoroughly? Russel answers this question by balancing the story between Sandoz's recovery, and the events that lead up to the mission to Rhakat. She explores the relationships he builds while working as a Priest in his old hometown in Puerto Rico, slowly building his circle of friends. Anne and George Edwards are full of life, and befriend him immediately with their vivacity (and their cooking). Sofia Mendez is an emotionally bereft intellectual slave, brought back into Emilio's life by happenstance. Finally, Jimmy Quinn also works at Arecibo observatory, at least partially on the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. His work is at a crossroads with Sofia's, bringing her and Emilio back into contact after years apart. Their shared relationships come to define their entire lives.

While working with Sofia at Arecibo, Jimmy makes the discovery of a lifetime. A nearby star system is sending regular radio transmissions to Earth in the form of beautiful music. He shows all his friends, and Emilio is the one who decides immediately that they must go to the planet. Leveraging the resources of the Jesuits, who have always been explorers in the name of God, Emilio is able to plan a mission across the stars.

What amazes me most about this book is the way that Russel is able to maintain suspense despite the reader being shown the outcome already. Even though I knew that Anne and George and Sofia and Jimmy were all gone from the first chapter, I was still enthralled by the characters enough to hope against hope that they'd end up ok somehow. The questions that linger throughout the book about the events on Rakhat and the effects they had on Emilio carry the narrative alongside the deep characterization that Russel seems to specialize in. By structuring the narrative this way, she's better able to focus on the inner life of the characters. Rather than driving the plot by making the reader wonder what happens next, she makes the reader wonder what happened before, and more importantly, why it happened. Knowing the people who went on the mission becomes just as important as the mission itself.

I'll have to read the sequel sometime soon. The story is really excellent, but also Russel's writing style is something I'd like to study more. Don't miss this one if you're looking for a unique take on an old trope.

Thank you for reading,

Benjamin Hawley