Review of Sparrows

[Sam Ibeh]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Sparrows" by Rose Betit.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Isabelle Letourneau came from an almost destitute family. Abandoned by her father, Leo, her mother decided to return to Georgia, where her family lived. However, that would happen if only Isabelle were left behind. In the care of her father's mother, Isabelle longed for her mother and big brother, and thankfully, she reunited with them after a year.

Now with her family, Isabelle realized that her maternal family was vastly different from her loving "Mémère" and father's sister, Aunt Monique. Now with her mother, they battled with life and its challenges. Every day, they struggled to make it to the next day.

Sparrows by Rose Betit was riddled with emotions. The author calmly communicated the thoughts and actions of the characters so that readers would feel the pain, frustration, and helplessness as the characters felt them.

It was a satisfying journey to see the way Isabelle's character developed. It was easy to see this growth from the change in the questions she asked and the sad comprehension of the pains of life. Still, Isabelle's character created some laughing moments with her innocent actions, like when she mistook a bearded man she saw in church for 'Jesus' because he looked like the image of Jesus.

I loved how this book presented different images of humanity. On the one hand, it showed the image of an indifferent society concerned with others' plights only at the point of death. On the other hand, an image of a kind and compassionate society was painted. I believed these symbolic images because they were true of the innate kindness and selfishness in every human being and society.

This book also touched on the ever-relevant issue of racial discrimination. It brought to the fore the preconceived, one-sided belief that black people were always trouble. This belief system fed the degradation and dehumanization of black people. In this book, we saw this discrimination in the attitude of the locals as they sneered at the sight of black people and called them derogatory names. It was also seen in the reluctance of law officers when a case involved a black person.

This book was not an action-packed, shattering story filled with suspense and intrigue. It was a simple, genuine narration of the story of a family and their battle with life. It was also a story about the consequences of our choices. Amid the sadness and frustrating feeling that oozed out of this book, a sense of stubborn strength could be felt.

This book would be appreciated by readers who enjoy biographies and emotional storytelling. There was nothing I disliked, and I couldn't find any error. Therefore, I'd rate it four out of four stars.

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Sparrows
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[Mody C]

I am a fan of emotional stories. It's kind of helps me to reflect on my life. In addition, a story about family and hard life will appeal to everybody, so this book sounds like a must-read. Thanks for the review!

[Wejdan_15]

I like sentimental stories. It kind of helps me think about my life. In addition, the story of the family and difficult life.

[Review Writer]

The qualities in this book really match those ones I ever want to see in a book—action, touching, hard life. Thanks for sharing this review.

[Rishi_reviews]

I always like story which is filled with emotion. It helps me look into my lufe in a more deep manner and the life of other as well. Thanks for the review.

[Shilisia]

I really like how realistic this story is. This is a must read. Thanks for the review.

[Yulisa Sanchez]

Slow-paced books are really nice to read especially when the storyline has very relatable issues about life. I find this book interesting with really deep life lessons embedded within the story especially as it pertains to racial discrimination. Thank you for the great review!

[Immaculate06]

It is good to know that the author did a good job in the characterization of the book. I'd love to read the book so as to know Isabelle's story ended. Good review.

[Nwadinso Okoro]

The presentation of the different images of humanity in the book was quite intriguing. The author did a good job in the characterization of the book. Good review.