The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell

The is a book group’s dream book. Discussions of the nature of God, the clash of cultures, the right to love, the effect of a butterfly wing on the weather a world away notion … it’s all there. Through a quirky series of events (or the hand of God?) Emilio Sandoz, a Jesuit priest, and a small band of highly trained friends set out to another galaxy in search of the alien culture that produced the exquisite music picked up by their intergalactic radios. They can only understand the culture they encounter through the filter of their own understanding of the way their world works. Sensitive to a fault, the simplest act has unimaginable consequences. The intertwining story style drove me crazy (one story begins in 2016 when they leave earth and the other in 2060 when Sandoz returns as the only survivor) but in this case it was worth it. I can’t wait for our book group discussion.