Children of God by Mary Doria Russell

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 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.

So I read the sparrow something like 15 years ago. I loved it. Totally meant to read the sequel. This was a time before ebooks and Amazon when I would have had to go to a store to purchase a book with money college me didn't have. So I didn't. It took over a decade for happenstance to return to The Sparrow to my shelf and throw the sequel in with it. I do finish things I start; I do.

Children of God is much more hopeful than The Sparrow, and I think that's why it didn't resonate quite as strongly with me. The Sparrow is an ambiguous book that looks at religion as it affects believers, agnostics, and atheists alike. That sort of parity is the main reason I love it. This book is more of a summation and because Mary Doria Russell doesn't want all her readers to kill themselves, the various endings are hopeful if not all good. They point to ineffable plans bearing fruit in a way that makes me happy for the characters, but sits a little bit wrong in my bitter, realist heart.

The main themes of this book are coping with senseless tragedy and the benefit of hindsight. Whatever the actual plausibility of Russell's use of speed of light travel, the element of Emilio's lifespan allows for him to witness a span of time most of the other characters will never see, and the reader benefits from his perspective. We see societies collapse and reform and our sympathies shift from victims to oppressors. We see people do awful things for noble reasons. We see consequences play out past anyone's expectations both for good and ill. It's a sweeping novel, and I envy Russell's control of a shifting time scheme.

In the afterword, Russell says the main element she hopes readers take away with them is “Don't be so damn quick to judge!” I think this statement is a worthwhile one for everyone to take with them. Learning it while exploring Russell's brilliantly brought to life alien cultures is much easier than trying it in real life. I only wish there was one more featuring Rukuei's story as he ventures to H'earth. That is a whole different thematic palette I'd love to read

Children of God. I picked up this 2nd book in the series immediated after I finished "The Sparrow." I loved the characters and the alien world, so wanted to learn more of their stories. Unfortunately this 2nd book held very little of what I most appreciated about "The Sparrow." The story-telling with multiple time lines was hard to follow. I also had a tough time keeping track of what was going on politically w/ the two alien species. While some of the humans were endearing-most were hard to handle. The hardest thing to handle was that the audiobook narrator was different then for The Sparrow" and this was a shame as I really liked the one for "The Sparrow" and I couldn't stand the voice for this one!

In many ways, the Dark Knight Rises to the Sparrow's Dark Knight.

After the Sparrow crushed my heart and soul I knew I had to read the sequel as soon as possible - and I'm glad I did!

Children of God takes a deeper dive into the society of the Runa and Jana'ata in Rakhat, and I LOVED it. It makes the alien societies feel so much more real, and shows a very different and surprising perspective to what happened to Sandoz on Rakhat.

As for Sandoz... he still takes a beating in this book (quite literally), but overall, his journey of recovery is hopeful and I think this book wrapped up The Sparrow quite nicely.

I feel like this is a book I'll have to re-read again when I'm older to fully appreciate the message. Still, this is one of the best books I've read so far.