Title: Silver Sparrow
Author: Tayari Jones
First published May 24, 2011
352 pages, Hardcover
ISBN: 9781565129900 (ISBN10: 1565129903)
Rating: 3.91
Overview
In If This Is a Man • The Truce, Primo Levi’s remarkable moral fortitude and intellectual clarity are on full display. With unassuming prose, the chemist masterfully recounts the unfathomable horrors of life in Nazi concentration camps, but also the moments of humanity and beauty that sustained him.
Levi’s writing is a testament to the enduring power of memory and our capacity for both the abominable and the sublime. He was a captivating and enchanting writer, and his work is a vital testament to the human spirit.
About the Author
Meet Tayari Jones, a talented author who has written four novels: Leaving Atlanta, The Untelling, Silver Sparrow, and An American Marriage (published in February 2018 by Algonquin Books). Her writing has appeared in various publications such as Tin House, The Believer, The New York Times, and Callaloo.
Tayari is a member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers and has received numerous awards, including the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award, Lifetime Achievement Award in Fine Arts from the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, United States Artist Fellowship, NEA Fellowship, and Radcliffe Institute Bunting Fellowship. Her novel Silver Sparrow was named a #1 Indie Next Pick by booksellers in 2011, and the NEA added it to its Big Read Library of classics in 2016.
Tayari earned her degrees from Spelman College, University of Iowa, and Arizona State University. She currently serves as an Associate Professor in the MFA program at Rutgers-Newark University.
Editoral Review
In “Silver Sparrow,” Tayari Jones delivers a powerful and emotionally complex story that explores the intricate dynamics of a family defined by secrets, deception, and love. Jones is a celebrated American author, whose works often tackle themes of race, identity, and social justice.
Published in 2011, “Silver Sparrow” became a critical and commercial success, earning multiple awards and nominations, and cementing Jones’ reputation as a master storyteller. The novel follows the lives of two teenage girls, Dana Lynn Yarboro and Chaurisse Witherspoon, who live in Atlanta in the 1980s, and share the same father, James Witherspoon, a bigamist who has managed to keep his two families a secret from each other for years.
Jones expertly weaves together the perspectives of the two girls, illustrating their contrasting upbringings, personalities, and desires. Dana, the illegitimate daughter, lives in poverty and must endure the shame and stigma of being James’ hidden daughter, while Chaurisse, the legitimate daughter, enjoys a comfortable middle-class existence but struggles with her own sense of identity and worth.
The plot of “Silver Sparrow” unfolds gradually, as the girls slowly discover each other’s existence and navigate their complicated relationship. Jones’ prose is as hauntingly beautiful as it is precise, immersing the reader in the vivid and evocative settings of Atlanta, from the dingy apartment complexes where Dana lives, to the grandiose mansions where James and Chaurisse reside.
Through her meticulous attention to detail, Jones creates a sense of time and place that is both authentic and timeless. Moreover, “Silver Sparrow” uses the story of James’ double-life to explore broader themes of deception, betrayal, and forgiveness.
Jones deftly sketches the psychological profiles of her characters, revealing the complexities of their motives and emotions. She also offers a trenchant critique of the patriarchal social structures that enable men like James to have multiple families, and that place the burden of shame and guilt on the women and children who must suffer the consequences.
One of the strengths of “Silver Sparrow” is its eloquent exploration of the relationship between identity and family. Both Dana and Chaurisse struggle to define themselves outside of their roles as James’ daughters, and must grapple with the implications of his actions for their sense of self-worth and belonging.
Jones’ depiction of their inner lives is nuanced and poignant, capturing the fragility and resilience of the human spirit. However, the novel is not without its flaws.
The pacing at times feels uneven, with some scenes dragging on too long, while others feel rushed. Additionally, some of the minor characters are not as fully realized as they could be, and their motivations and personalities remain somewhat vague.
Despite these minor issues, “Silver Sparrow” is a triumph of storytelling, a novel that will linger in the reader’s mind long after the final page has been turned. It is a testament to Jones’ skill as a writer, and to her ability to capture the complexity of the human experience with grace and compassion.
For those who enjoy literary fiction that is both emotionally engaging and intellectually stimulating, “Silver Sparrow” is a must-read. It is a book that will appeal to readers of all backgrounds and ages, and that has particular relevance in today’s world, where questions of identity, diversity, and social justice remain pressing.
It receives a rating of 4.5 out of 5, as it manages to tick almost all the boxes of being a perfect read.
