 the sparrow (1996) is the first novel by author mary doria russell. it won the arthur c. clarke award, james tiptree, jr. award, kurd-laÃwitz-preis and the british science fiction association award. it was followed by a sequel, children of god, in 1998. the title refers to matthew 10:29-31, which relates that not even a sparrow falls to the earth without god's knowing of it. == plot summary == the novel begins in the year 2019, when the seti program, at the arecibo observatory, picks up radio broadcasts of music from the vicinity of alpha centauri. the first expedition to rakhat, the world that is sending the music, is organized by the jesuit order, known for its missionary, linguistic and scientific activities since the time of its founder ignatius loyola. only one of the crew, father emilio sandoz, a priest, survives to return to earth, and he is damaged physically and psychologically. the story is told in framed flashback, with chapters alternating between the story of the expedition and the story of sandoz' interrogation by the jesuit order's inquest, set up in 2059 to find the truth. sandoz' return has sparked great controversy â not just because the jesuits sent the mission independent of united nations oversight, but also because the mission ended disastrously. contact with the un mission, which sent sandoz back to earth alone in the jesuit ship, has since been lost. from the beginning, sandoz, a talented puerto rican linguist, who is described as of mixed taino and conquistador heritage and character, born in a san juan slum, had believed the mission to rakhat was divinely inspired. several of his close friends and co-workers, people with a variety of unique skills and talents, had seemingly coincidental connections to arecibo and one of them, a gifted young technician, was the first to hear the transmissions. in sandoz's mind, only god's will could bring this group of people with the perfect combination of knowledge and experience together at the moment when the alien signal was detected. these were the people who, with three other jesuit priests, were cho
1996_novels 2019_in_fiction American_films American_science_fiction_novels Debut_novels James_Tiptree,_Jr._Award-winning_works Roman_Catholic_novels Villard_(imprint)_books