Sparrow

The Sparrow is a novel about a remarkable man, a living saint, a life-long celibate and Jesuit priest, who undergoes an experience so harrowing and profound that it makes him question the existence of God. This experience--the first contact between human beings and intelligent extraterrestrial life--begins with a small mistake and ends in a horrible catastrophe.

Trained as a  paleoanthropologist, and the author of scientific articles on subjects ranging from bone biology to cannibalism, Mary Doria Russell received her B.A. in cultural anthropology from the University of Illinois, her M.A. in social anthropology from Northeastern University and her doctorate in biological anthropology from the University of Michigan. After quitting academia and writing computer manuals, she began work on <b>The Sparrow</b>. She lives with her husband and son in Cleveland, Ohio.