In Children of God, Mary Doria Russell further establishes herself as one of the most innovative, entertaining and philosophically provocative novelists writing today.The only member of the original mission to the planet Rakhat to return to Earth, Father Emilio Sandoz has barely begun to recover from his ordeal when the So-ciety of Jesus calls upon him for help in preparing for another mission to … preparing for another mission to Alpha Centauri. Despite his objections and fear, he cannot escape his past or the future.
Old friends, new discoveries and difficult questions await Emilio as he struggles for inner peace and understanding in a moral universe whose boundaries now extend beyond the solar system and whose future lies with children born in a faraway place.
Strikingly original, richly plotted, replete with memorable characters and filled with humanity and humor, Children of God is an unforgettable and uplifting novel that is a potent successor to The Sparrow and a startlingly imaginative adventure for newcomers to Mary Doria Russell’s special literary magic.
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I was so excited to read this one, because The Sparrow was one of my favorite books of 2017 – and I wasn’t ready for my time in the strange, elegiac world of Rakhat to be over.
Besides the interplanetary travel component, this book felt more like “anthropological fiction” than “science fiction” in some ways. Russell has a degree in Cultural …
Read, “The Sparrow” and the second book to the story, “Children of God” about ten years ago. These two books impacted my life, on so many levels. To this day, I will find myself *Day Dreaming*, in earnest thinking about the two books
I question the possibility of the most intriguing possibilities of such realities written. Questions on a …
Another great science fiction story exploring how a few innocent misunderstandings can have dramatic consequences, especially when diverse cultures and belief systems are involved. Though it is a strong conclusion to The Sparrow, I thought some of the jumps in time reduced the dramatic impact of the story’s climax.
A Definite Must Read to Book One, “The Sparrow”.
Answers many question in book one of the two book series while raining more intriguing challenges to the mind, heart and soul.
Place theses two books as “Must Reads” on your reading lists.
Honestly – you should read everything she has written!
The sequel to THE SPARROW. They should be read as one work in two volumes. Unforgettable.
Great continuation of the story
Lots of detail
The cursing was too constant and perverse sodomy was much to strong for my taste. Beautiful written characters and exploration of another planet – which is why I read both books. But… there is no way I could recommend this to anyone. It left some horrible images in my mind.
A wonderful sequel to the Sparrow. It continues this thought provoking and interesting book. Love all of this author’s work.
anything she writes is very good.
This is a really disturbing book. It’s well a written sequel to The Sparrow, which i thought was a really disturbing book full of rape and torture. But Children of God was just depressing with the poor priest physically and emotionally ruined by the events of The Sparrow.
The idea for a book was good, but I had a very difficult time getting a grasp on the characters. There was no consistency. They seemed to be all over the place. When visiting other worlds, the reader needs more description to put them in that place. I never felt like I was inside the story. Also, the book jumps around, so was hard to follow. I …
This is a book I read a number of years ago and liked it so much that I kept it. I usually pass my books on to share with others. This one is a keeper for my library.
Very interesting picture of the Society of Jesus… Characters well observed… Story is moving.
Mary Doria Russell would sit securely within the Science Fiction pantheon *without* this sequel to The Sparrow – she becomes Sirius itself with The Children of God.
Emilio Sandoz is explained, if not exonerated – Supaari VaGayjur, exonerated if not excused. The Runa begin a sea-change in culture while the Jana’ata struggle with being judged …
When I first read The Sparrow, the first book in the series, in 1997 for some reason I never got around to reading this one, the second and final book. Twenty years after I first re-read The Sparrow and then this one. I’m sad to say this is a poor follow-up. Perhaps the first one set up such grand expectations that the bar was set extremely …