It's a familiar premise.... with a twist. Astronomers on Earth pick up a highly ordered radio signal and are forced to reach the inevitable conclusion: we have found evidence of alien intelligence. But instead of the usual reactions, we have one that is both surprising and rather plausible. While the Earth governments think about what to do and how to respond, the Society of Jesus quietly launches a ship. If there is another set of God's children elsewhere in the Universe, we must know them.
And so it is the Jesuits who make first contact with the alien life forms 15 light years away. But "The Sparrow" does not simply tell this story. It starts at the end, after a single priest has returned from that first voyage (and only then through being rescued by a UN ship sent a few years after the Jesuit ship left Earth). He is very sick and horribly mutilated. The scattered reports that came back from the planet by radio over the years tell a confusing and apparently damning story of various crimes that were committed by this priest, including murder and prostitution (remember, Jesuit priests are celibate). And yet, he was one the most respected Fathers of his order when he left.
What really happened? Emilio Sandoz, the sole (soul?) survivor, is in no mood to talk. But the Father General of the Society of Jesus is a patient man. He will get Sandoz to tell the tale, however long it takes and by whatever means he can within God's way. "The Sparrow" is the tale of Sandoz' explanation, told in a combination of flashbacks and actual prose from Russell. The characters are detailed exceptionally well, the plot is gripping, and best of all, tough questions are asked and not fully answered. This book rates an unhesitating "strong +."
I will not tell much of the story so as not to spoil it for those who want to read the book-- and you should. I will mention instead some of the major philosophical themes explored through the characters and plot. If you are a purist about hearing nothing about a book before reading it, stop now. I won't tell any surprises, but I will mention the major issues Russell is poking at in "The Sparrow."
The theme that hit me hardest was the tension between planning or conscious design and a more natural evolution or even a lack of consciousness about overall direction. Through several threads, Russell presents the pitfalls of both conscious planning and lack thereof. She unmasks the inherent contradiction in the belief that humans must act to fulfill God's plan at the same time that they must surrender to His will and accept what comes. She presents an uncomfortable tension between the values created consciously by human societies and the principles evolved by natural selection on the alien world. And shining through all these heady issues is the concept of how much knowledge one can really have of a situation. Planning requires a framework and knowledge base, but we must always make decisions without complete knowledge-- how much knowledge must you have before it is moral to make a judgment? And how can you ever know that you have enough?
"The Sparrow" might make you stay up late to find out what happens in the end. But its themes will continue to haunt you for days afterward.
Copyright © Kim Allen 2001
