_Children of God_ by Mary Doria Russell is the sequel to _The Sparrow_, in which the first contact with an alien race on another planet was by a Jesuit mission. This sequel follows in the same tradition in that it is also a very literary breed of science fiction with strong themes of sadness and loss with religious overtones.

In this book, Sandoz, the Jesuit priest, is still recovering from the mission to Rakhat from which he was the only living survivor... so he thought. He finds that the changes that the Jesuit mission brought to Rakhat have caused a major sociological and political upheaval there. Sandoz must overcome his personal hells and losses to aid the inhabitants of Rakhat stabilize their society.

Highly recommended, perhaps for fans of Umberto Eco's _The Name of the Rose_ and a necessary read for those who enjoyed _The Sparrow_.

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