Looking Back - Children of God

Looking Back... In an effort to transfer my book journal entries over to this blog, I'm going to attempt to post (in chronological order) an entry every Friday. I may or may not add extra commentary to what I jotted down in these journals.

Children of God by Mary Doria Russell
Science Fiction
1998 Villard Books
Finished in May 1998
Rating: 2/5 (Fair)

Publisher's Blurb:

Mary Doria Russell's debut novel, The Sparrow, took us on a journey to a distant planet and into the center of the human soul. A critically acclaimed bestseller, The Sparrow was chosen as one of Entertainment Weekly's Ten Best Books of the Year, a finalist for the Book-of-the-Month Club's First Fiction Prize and the winner of the James M. Tiptree Memorial Award. Now, in Children of God, Russell further establishes herself as one of the most innovative, entertaining and philosophically provocative novelists writing today. The only member of the original mission to the planet Rakhat to return to Earth, Father Emilio Sandoz has barely begun to recover from his ordeal when the Society of Jesus calls upon him for help in preparing for another mission to Alpha Centauri. Despite his objections and fear, he cannot escape his past or the future. Old friends, new discoveries and difficult questions await Emilio as he struggles for inner peace and understanding in a moral universe whose boundaries now extend beyond the solar system and whose future lies with children born in a faraway place. Strikingly original, richly plotted, replete with memorable characters and filled with humanity and humor, Children of God is an unforgettable and uplifting novel that is a potent successor to The Sparrow and a startlingly imaginative adventure for newcomers to Mary Doria Russell's special literary magic.

My Original Notes (1998):

This started out very, very good, but about halfway through, it lost steam. I got very confused with all the new characters and couldn't keep their names straight. It was also difficult to keep the two separate species straight, especially as the generations expanded. It lacked the humor that was so abundant in The Sparrow. The end of the novel gained speed, but still fell short. I was fascinated with the language aspects of the book. Ms. Russell basically created a new language!

I'll still read more by her, if she continues to write fiction.

It was nice to learn more about Sandoz's experience on Alpha Centauri and to discover what happened to Sophia.

My Current Thoughts:

I have read The Sparrow multiple times and I know I will read it again, but Children of God was such a letdown that I know I will never read it a second time. Thankfully, Mary Doria Russell has gone on to write several other novels, which I thoroughly enjoyed. As a matter of fact, she has a new release coming out in August. It's called The Women of Copper Country. I'm looking forward to reading it!