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 the multi-award-winning author of seven acclaimed novels. The science fiction classics The Sparrow and its acclaimed sequel, Children of God; the astonishing World War II thriller, A Thread of Grace, and Dreamers of the Day, a political romance set in Cairo in 1921. In Doc and Epitaph, she revisits the ‘Wild West’ mythology surrounding Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday and the Gunfight at the OK Corral, while The Women of the Copper Country tells the story of Annie Clements, ‘America’s Joan of Arc’. Mary holds a Ph.D. in biological anthropology from the University of Michigan. She and Don Russell have been happily married for an unusually high percentage high percentage of the years since 1970. They live in Cleveland, Ohio.

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

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'

'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.

A Thread Of Grace

About us

About Us (Header 4)

Best-Jane-Austen-quotes_Online-Desktop_Penguin

James-Baldwin

Marian-Keyes

haruki-murakami-320×320-1

Richard-Osman

Malorie Blackman

Lisa-Jewell

Charlie-Mackesy

Authors (Header 3)

Children&#039;s

Company

Discover

Fiction

Non-fiction

Penguin Classics

Penguin Shop (Header 5)

Useful links

Work with us

sectionTitle

isEnabled

anchor

anchorLabel

prhuk/featured-book

prhuk/praise-section

maxBooks

showViewMore

prhuk/books-section

hideAuthorAlert

formName

iterableDivision

iterableBrand

buttonText

description

heading

legalText

successHeading

successText

image

alignment

variation

prhuk/email-section

prhuk/series-section

prhuk/biography-section

prhuk/articles-section

prhuk-authors

The perfect gift? A Penguin Shop gift card

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

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter