Children Of God

The sequel to Mary Doria Russell's powerful and haunting debut, The Sparrow.

'Almost impossible to put down...a miracle of telling'

'A powerful epic narrative...an ambitious novel, and a tragic, haunting parable...here, for a change, is a sequel that counts'

'You don't have to be a believer to find Russell's portrait of courage and endurance and humanity (among aliens as well as humans) both moving and exhilarating'

Mary Doria Russell is a former anatomist, has studied six languages, trained as a paleoanthropologist and is the author of scientific papers on subjects as various as bone biology and cannibalism. Her first novel, The Sparrow, won the 1996 James Tiptree Award, the 1998 BSFA Award and the 1998 Arthur C. Clarke Award and she has also won the Cleveland Arts Council Prize for Literature and the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer of Science Fiction. Her second novel, Children of God, is the sequel to The Sparrow. Mary Doria Russell lives in Cleveland, Ohio, with her husband and their son.

From the acclaimed author of The Sparrow comes a new, extraordinarily imaginative SF novel which continues the powerful, moving story of Emilio Sandoz, the charismatic Jesuit priest who led the well-intentioned but catastrophic mission to the distant planet of Rakhat, and journeyed to the furthest reaches of the human soul. 
 
Now, in Children of God, Father Emilio Sanchoz returns and - against his will - is forced to continue his quest for the meaning, if any, of God's plan. Dazzlingly imaginative, philosophically provocative and immeasurably entertaining, Children of God is a must-read for fans of The Sparrow, and a startlingly fresh adventure for newcomers to Mary Doria Russell's special literary magic.

Dreamers Of The Day

The stunning new historical novel from the bestselling author of A Thread of Grace and The Sparrow.

A brilliant writer...warm, wise and wonderful

Mary Doria Russell is the author of the multi award-winning The Sparrow and Children of God, and the Pulitzer Prize-nominated A Thread of Grace. She lives in Cleveland, Ohio. Her website is www.marydoriarussell.info

'I am sure of this much: my little story has become your history. You won't really understand your times until you understand mine...' 
Reeling from the aftermath of the twin tragedies of the Great War and the influenza epidemic, diffident schoolteacher Agnes Shanklin has taken the trip of a lifetime: to Egypt and the Holy Land. But her arrival at Cairo's Semiramis Hotel coincides with an event that will change history. For the year is 1921 and the Cairo Peace Conference is about to preside over nothing less than the creation of the modern Middle East. At first Agnes acts as a welcome sounding board for the historic players - Churchill, T. E. Lawrence and Lady Gertrude Bell among them - poised to invent the nations of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan and so decide the fate of the Arab world. Yet as the tumultuous days pass, she attracts the attention of a charismatic German spy and is inexorably drawn into the duplicitous, dangerous world of geopolitical intrigue... 
As enlightening as it is entertaining, this compelling, passionately felt novel casts brilliant and perceptive light on what lies behind so many of today's headlines.

The Sparrow

Beautifully written, at times unsettling, always thought-provoking novel that takes the reader on a journey to a distant planet - and to the centre of the human soul.

'One of those rare books that takes you to its heart and refuses to let go'

'Compulsive reading and may be the year's best science fiction novel'

'Brilliant first novel about the discovery of extraterrestrial life...Shades of Wells, Ursula Le Guin and Arthur C. Clarke, with just a dash of Edgar Rice Burroughs - and yet strikingly original'

'One of the years's most powerful and disturbing books'

'A parable about human life on Earth, with all its imperfections, failings, doubts, wisdom and erudition...The Sparrow is a startling, engrossing and moral work of fiction'

'A tangy blend of psychological insight and impassioned lyricism, passed through a sieve of diamond-clear prose...The Sparrow has depth, pace, engaging characters and an alien culture that knocks you sideways'

'A hopeful sign that science fiction might reclaim its heritage as a literature with boundless capacity to kindle wonder'

Mary Doria Russell is a former anatomist, has studied six languages, trained as a paleoanthropologist and is the author of scientific papers on subjects as various as bone biology and cannibalism. Her first novel, The Sparrow, won the 1996 James Tiptree Award, the 1998 BSFA Award and the 1998 Arthur C. Clarke Award and she has also won the Cleveland Arts Council Prize for Literature and the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer of Science Fiction. Her second novel, Children of God, is the sequel to The Sparrow. Mary Doria Russell lives in Cleveland, Ohio, with her husband and their son.

'The Sparrow is one of my favourite science fiction novels and it destroyed me in the best way when I read it. It is so beautifully written and the construction of the narrative is masterful' 
Emma Newman, author of Planetfall 
 
THE ACCLAIMED GENRE-DEFINING WINNER OF THE 1998 ARTHUR C. CLARKE AWARD 
 
Set in the 21st century - a number of decades from now - The Sparrow is the story of a charismatic Jesuit priest and talented linguist, Emilio Sandoz, who - in response to a remarkable radio signal from the depths of space - leads a scientific mission to make first contact with an extra-terrestrial culture. 
 
In the true tradition of Jesuit adventurers before him, Sandoz and his companions are prepared to endure isolation, suffering - even death - but nothing can prepare them for the civilisation they encounter. Or for the tragic misunderstanding that brings the mission to a devastating end. Once considered a living saint, Sandoz returns alone to Earth horrifically maimed, both physically and spiritually, the mission's sole survivor - only to be blamed for the mission's failure and accused of heinous crimes. 
 
Written in clean, effortless prose and peopled with memorable characters who never lose their humanity or humour, The Sparrow is a powerful, haunting fiction - a tragic but ultimately triumphant novel about the nature of faith, of love and what it means to be 'human' and widely considered to be a classic of the genre.

Mary Doria Russell

'A Thread of Grace is as ambitious, beautiful, tense and transforming as any of us could have hoped.'

KAREN JOY FOWLER, author of The Jane Austen Book Club

'Busy, noisy and heartfelt...the action moves swiftly, with impressive authority, jostling dialogue, vibrant personalities and meticulous, unexpected historical detail. The intensity and intimacy of Russell's storytelling, her sharp character writing and fierce sense of humour bring fresh immediacy to this riveting WWII saga.'

'Beautiful, noble, fascinating...Russell weaves oral and written histories and a large cast into a fast-moving story...Rich, rewarding.'

8 September 1943. Italy has sued for peace with the Allies and 14-year-old Claudette Blum is learning Italian on the run. She and her father are among the thousands of Jewish refugees scrambling over the Alps to where they hope they will be safe at last. What they don't know is that tomorrow Italy will be under German occupation and about to become a vicious battleground between the Nazis, an increasingly confident resistance and the advancing Allies... 
Set against this dramatic historical backdrop, Mary Doria Russell's new novel recalls - through the lives of a handful of brilliantly-drawn characters: a mercurial Italian resistance leader, a Catholic priest, an Italian rabbi's family, a disillusioned Wehrmacht doctor - the little known conspiracy of ordinary Italians who saved the lives of thousands of Jews during the final, desperate 20 months of the war. 
Full of drama, warmth, nobility and, for all the darkness, hope, A THREAD OF GRACE tells a story of ordinary people caught up in extraordinary times and accomplishing remarkable things. It is a breathtaking achievement.

Mary Doria Russell

Praise for A Thread Of Grace

'A Thread of Grace is as ambitious, beautiful, tense and transforming as any of us could have hoped.'

'Busy, noisy and heartfelt...the action moves swiftly, with impressive authority, jostling dialogue, vibrant personalities and meticulous, unexpected historical detail. The intensity and intimacy of Russell's storyt ...

'Beautiful, noble, fascinating...Russell weaves oral and written histories and a large cast into a fast-moving story...Rich, rewarding.'

'A Thread of Grace is as ambitious, beautiful, tense and transforming as any of us could have hoped.'

'Busy, noisy and heartfelt...the action moves swiftly, with impressive authority, jostling dialogue, vibrant personalities and meticulous, unexpected historical detail. The intensity and intimacy of Russell's storyt ...

'Beautiful, noble, fascinating...Russell weaves oral and written histories and a large cast into a fast-moving story...Rich, rewarding.'

'A Thread of Grace is as ambitious, beautiful, tense and transforming as any of us could have hoped.'

'Busy, noisy and heartfelt...the action moves swiftly, with impressive authority, jostling dialogue, vibrant personalities and meticulous, unexpected historical detail. The intensity and intimacy of Russell's storyt ...

'Beautiful, noble, fascinating...Russell weaves oral and written histories and a large cast into a fast-moving story...Rich, rewarding.'

Books by Mary Doria Russell

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