SOJALS rating:

Very good (4/5)

I first read this in May 1998.

In this sequel to "The Sparrow", Emilio returns most unwillingly to the world of Rakhat, where he had previously suffered such atrocities.

I won't talk any more about the plot - this, and "The Sparrow", are books that you simply have to read, and you must read "The Sparrow" first.

I was a little worried as I read the first few pages, they felt a lightweight after the powerful prose of The Sparrow. Emilio himself seemed less intense. However, Chapter 2's flashback to Sofia Mendes, and the Pope's entrance in Chapter 3 cancelled my concerns. This sequel would evidently be very good.

Indeed, it was a match for "The Sparrow". Thank God it's only a novel - to know of people like Emilio with that weight of guilt and grief would be to much to bear, let alone to bear it oneself. It was so sad about Emilio, Sophia, and Gina, still the ending was sweet enough.