Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones

 "I think about the world and the way that things take place and in what order. I am not one of those people who believe that everything happens for a reason. Or, if I am, I don't believe that everything happens for a good reason....There's only so much that you can chalk up to coincidence. I believe in the eventuality of things. What's done in the dark shall come to the light. What goes up comes down. What goes around comes around. There are a million of these sayings, all, in their own way, true. And isn't that what's supposed to set you free?"                 -Dana Lynn Yarboro, from the novel

As a member of LIFE (Learning Institute for Elders) at UCF I was invited to participate in NEA's (National Endowment for the Arts) Big Read, receive a free copy of the year's chosen novel and take part in group discussions of the book. At first I set my copy aside because I had just received a library book I wanted to read by a favorite author. When the invitation came for the first group meeting, via Zoom, I decided I should at least look over Silver Sparrow. The amazing first line: "My father, James Witherspoon, is a bigamist." sucked me in and after a few more pages, I was hooked! I finished it in only a few days---quite a page-turner. Rating: 5---fascinating story, beautiful writing. 

What a unique story told by the two daughters of James Witherspoon! The first part is narrated by Dana Lynn Yarboro, daughter of Gwen and the second, by Bunny Chaurisse Witherspoon, daughter of Laverne Witherspoon, the "legitimate" family. Dana and Gwen know about the other two---even stalk them at times--but Laverne and Chaurisse do NOT know that James has another secret family. 

The emotional toll on Dana is great, as she grows up feeling second-best, perhaps the "silver sparrow" of the title. She could never claim James as her father and many of her decisions hinged on what Chaurisse would do or where she would be, for example schools or camps. Sibling rivalry takes on a different---and more destructive meaning. I felt sorry for Dana.

When the two girls become friends, the plot thickens and the reader figures it's only a matter of time before James' duplicity is revealed. I can't say more without spoilers and I probably don't need to since you likely have already determined to read it!

----------------February 23

I was fortunate to view an interview in real time with Tayari Jones, the author of Silver Sparrow. It was wonderfully entertaining. She talked about her work---this is her third book---revealing thoughts about writing in general and about this novel, in particular. The setting of the book is Atlanta which is Jones's home town and as the interviewer said, almost seems to be a character in her novel. She said she began the story with Dana as narrator because she felt her story was more interesting than that of Chaurisse. I posed a question about her title selection since I never quite understood it. She said that the song lyrics "His eye is on the sparrow..." occurs in the book and that was part of the reason for her choice. It was surprising to me that she reads her entire book aloud when it is completed. She shared that after being "kicked to the curb" by her publisher for being "unprofitable" she attended an author's conference in Key West. When a woman asked her for an autographed copy of a book, it turned out to be Judy Blume who introduced her to her new publisher! (Judy Blume is one of my favorite authors of literature for children and youth.) Ms. Jones has a very engaging personality so it was an enjoyable hour. She seemed like someone I would love to meet.