Mary Doria Russell's The Sparrow
Mary Doria Russell's The Sparrow: a story about Jesuits who go into outer space in a meteor retrofitted as a space ship to meet a new alien race. It's no wonder the author was told that she'd probably never get it published. She was also told that if it ever did get published, it'd likely win all sorts of awards. Wrong on the first count. Right on the second count. The Sparrow is one of the best novels I've read lately. It's one of those books that makes you think about faith more deeply than overt or didactic theology does. But, hey, I'm pretty sure that's partially because of how I'm wired. Music and literature do for my soul what few other art forms can. Here are some powerful quotes from the novel: