The Sparrow

It's always nice to revisit a book and discover that it's every bit as good as you remember it. Maybe even better. It's been nearly a decade since I first read The Sparrow and it's sequel, but it's stuck with me over the years. It's dense and powerful and there's a lot to mull over.

I've been meaning to revisit it for years, and I finally convinced my book club to read it last month, which gave me the motivation to finally pick it back up. This time, I knew where everything was going from the beginning. And it gave me a deeper appreciation for the structure and pacing and foreshadowing of the book. It really is a masterpiece, using the mystery to drag the reader through the slower beginning and then ramping up at the end.

I also enjoyed discussing it with my book club this time. A lot of them are way more familiar with the bible than I am, so they pointed out a lot of references that I missed. It was neat to get a different perspective on the book, and especially interesting to learn that my favorite character, Anne, was the most despised by some of the more religious people in the club. (This isn't actually surprising.)

I'm really glad I finally got back around to this book. Hopefully I can find time for it again before another decade passes me by.

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