Publisher and Publication Date: New American Library. 2014.
Genre: Historical fiction.
Pages: 368.
Source: eBook from the library.
Audience: Readers of women’s stories, Native American, early American history.
Rating: Excellent.

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Summary:
Mary Rowlandson was a true historical person living in Massachusetts during Colonial America. She was born in 1635, and died in 1710 or 1711. She was born in England and came to America as a child. She married Joseph Rowlandson who was a Puritan minister. In 1676, during King Philip’s War, she and her three children were captured by Native Americans. Three months after she was captured her husband ransomed her back. Their two surviving children returned a month later. She later wrote her story and it was published.

My Thoughts:
Flight of the Sparrow is a story that provokes. It has conflicts that cause me to feel angry, sad, and left me with a feeling of great loss.
The conflicts:
*White people indifferent, intolerant, and abusive to Native Americans and African American slaves.
*Native Americans who out of fear and anger lash out and abuse White Americans.
*White men who are indifferent, intolerant, and abusive to females.
*People who misunderstand, slander, and gossip.
*A religion that doesn’t know Scripture or the One who is Creator of all.
*A society that doesn’t question authorities or they are afraid to do so. Another reason is they don’t realize or have been led to believe they don’t have a valid voice.
All of these conflicts makes the story very heavy. In the Flight of the Sparrow there isn’t a resting place. The entire sweeping story is one of angst.

A positive point in the book is it’s a teaching story.
*It’s a story that shows injustice and a heroine who tries to make things at least transparent about her life through a written story.
*I learned about the way of life for Native Americans. Their culture and society amongst themselves, especially their plight and resistance.
*People who dearly love one another and cannot be together, but instead are faithful and sacrificial in their love.
*To see the perspective of another people group. To take the eyes of self and towards others. To have understanding and compassion.

This is a story for such a time as this.