Praise for Flight of the Sparrow
“Breathes life into a vital but oft-neglected chapter of our history. Amy Belding Brown has turned an authentic drama of Indian captivity into a compelling, emotionally gripping tale that is at once wrenching and soulful.”—*Eliot Pattison, author of the Mystery of Colonial America series
“A mesmerizing tale of survival and awakening...The deftly depicted cross cultural friendship reminded me of Caleb’s Crossing and the fast-paced story kept me up turning pages.”—Donna Thorland, author of The Turncoat and The Rebel Pirate
“Brown’s voice transforms a remote period into a fresh and immediate world and, in Mary, gives us a heroine who is broken by sorrow but determined to survive. This is a novel about the true meaning of faith and freedom.”—Kelly O’Connor McNees, author of The Island of Doves and The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott
“The story of Mary Rowlandson is the story of one of the darkest episodes in our nation’s history, and yet Amy Belding Brown manages to turn it into a soaring tale of light and hope…The Flight of the Sparrow reminds us of the promise of America and that the fulfillment of that promise relies on every human heart.”—Sally Cabot Gunning, author of Benjamin Franklin’s Bastard, The Widow’s War, Bound, and The Rebellion of Jane Clarke
“In this amazingly written and deeply researched book, Amy Belding Brown delivers 17th-century Massachusetts to the reader with a prose that springs from the page and wraps you in wonder. Flight of the Sparrow showcases the author’s imagination bound by her dedication to historical fact....This is a book for both readers of literary fiction as well as those who love a well-researched work of historical fiction.”—Historical Novel Society
Praise for Mr. Emerson’s Wife
“Amy Belding Brown has brought her back to life in a novel that glitters with intelligence and authenticity.”—Geraldine Brooks, author of March
“In this extraordinary book, Amy Belding Brown has brought the nineteenth century to life...A soaring imaginative leap, this book combines detailed history with a page-turning illicit love story. It’s a look at a rich moment in American history and a great read, a rare combination.”—Susan Cheever, author of My Name Is Bill and Note Found in a Bottle
“A beautiful work...It is quite refreshing to see that ambition backed up with a quality of writing that bears up to the weight of its subject matter.”—Bret Lott, author of Jewel and A Song I Knew by Heart
Flight of the Sparrow: A Novel of Early America
Narrated by Heather Henderson
Amy Belding BrownUnabridged — 11 hours, 0 minutes
Flight of the Sparrow: A Novel of Early America
Narrated by Heather Henderson
Amy Belding BrownUnabridged — 11 hours, 0 minutes
Audiobook (Digital)
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Overview
"She suspects that she has changed too much to ever fit easily into English society again. The wilderness has now become her home. She can interpret the cries of birds. She has seen vistas that have stolen away her breath. She has learned to live in a new, free way."
Massachusetts Bay Colony, 1676. Even before Mary Rowlandson was captured by Indians on a winter day of violence and terror, she sometimes found herself in conflict with her rigid Puritan community. Now, her home destroyed, her children lost to her, she has been sold into the service of a powerful woman tribal leader and made a pawn in the ongoing bloody struggle between English settlers and native people. Battling cold, hunger, and exhaustion, Mary witnesses harrowing brutality but also unexpected kindness. To her confused surprise, she is drawn to her captors' open and straightforward way of life-a feeling further complicated by her attraction to a generous, protective English-speaking native known as James Printer. All her life, Mary has been taught to fear God, submit to her husband, and abhor Indians. Now, having lived on the other side of the forest, she begins to question the edicts that have guided her, torn between the life she knew and the wisdom the natives have shown her.
Based on the compelling true narrative of Mary Rowlandson, Flight of the Sparrow is an evocative tale that transports the listener to a little-known time in early America and explores the real meanings of freedom, faith, and acceptance.
Editorial Reviews
Brown retells the actual events surrounding Mary Rowlandson’s abduction to expose the difficult role of women in colonial Puritan society, explore Mary’s quest for freedom, and offer a fuller understanding of her faith. She eloquently allows Mary’s story to unfold, while transporting the reader into the rigid world of the Puritans and juxtaposing that with the more natural life of the Native Americans. Brown’s story is as much inspirational as it is historical, and more intriguing because it is true.”
Brown’s voice transforms a remote period into a fresh and immediate world and, in Mary, gives us a heroine who is broken by sorrow but determined to survive. This is a novel about the true meaning of faith and freedom.”
Breathes life into a vital but oft-neglected chapter of our history. Amy Belding Brown has turned an authentic drama of Indian captivity into a compelling, emotionally gripping tale that is at once wrenching and soulful.”
A mesmerizing tale of survival and awakening…Reminded me of Caleb’s Crossing.”
Narrator Heather Henderson presents this carefully constructed portrait of Mary Rowlandson, a woman who was sold into service to a local native tribe in the early years of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Henderson captures Mary’s conflict between her strict Puritan upbringing and her terror and heartbreak at the loss of her world and her family. As Mary forms connections with the natives, especially the English-speaking James Printer, her changing feelings are made clear and sympathetic. Henderson’s delivery sometimes obscures the deeper emotions and subtleties of the narrative, but her characters are easily recognizable. Listeners are slowly but surely drawn into this remarkable story. B.E.K. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940169576474 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Blackstone Audio, Inc. |
| Publication date: | 07/01/2014 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
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