After the first exquisite songs were intercepted by radio telescope, UN diplomats debated long and hard whether and why human resources should be expended in an attempt to reach the world that would become known as Rakhat.

This was a very different book to what I might usually read, but it also made me think...'what if?' If you are a religious person it could also make you question of beliefs. It is quite intense in places.

Wow, what a beautiful new and shiny book! I'm looking forward to reading it and will find a worthy home for it afterwards! Thanx.

Amazing book. I am grateful for reading it. I am sending it off as I received it, by fulfilling someone's wish on a wishlist.

Released on Friday, July 04, 2003 at to fellow bookcrosser in to fellow bookcrosser, sent it by mail Netherlands.

The Sparrow arrived today--I promise to read it soon, and pass it along to someone who will appreciate it! Thanks so much, zeldesse, for sending this my way!

This was an incredibly powerful and thought-provoking book, the kind of book that you spend a lot of time thinking about whenever you're not reading it. It's the story of first contact between a group of human beings--a group composed in part of Jesuit priests--but it's also a fascinating account of one man's struggle to come to grips with his own faith, in the face of the truly horrific things that happen during this mission. This book can be painful to read in places--the reader knows from the start that bad things will happen to this group of people, virtually all of whom are vividly drawn, memorable and sympathetic characters--but the ending, and the truth about what happened on the planet are still fairly shocking.
I'll be keeping an eye out for the sequel, Children of God. In the meantime, this book is off to Portugal, to a fellow bookcrosser!

Thank you Genevalove for putting into words my similar feelings of this book. I would say it was one of the most graphic books I've ever read and the ending was definitely an eye-opener. The biggest question for me after reading it was, 'Would this be the cost of finding life elsewhere in the universe?' This is definitely NOT the Star Trek view of things.

I received this book today in the mail and I promise to read it as soon as I can and then send it on to another BC. Thanks Genevalove! :)

RELEASE NOTES:

I've had this book for too long on my TBR pile so I'm sending it on to Jennifer in the USA, through Title Trader. Enjoy! :o)

I enjoyed reading this book and I am now ready to pass it on. I had heard about this book as I was reading a list of books that had one the Arthur C. Clarke award. I like science fiction and one way to find new authors is to see what books end up on this, and other, lists.

The ending makes me think the author had a sequal in mind. How could you not want to find out more about the alien planet.

Now that I'm done I'm passing the book to somebody in Manhattan Kansas through paperbackswap.com, hopefully they will enjoy the book as much as I.

CAUGHT IN NASHVILLE TENNESSEE USA