Customer Reviews

Not a Sparrow Falls

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If you can read only one novel in the next year, make it this one! The "Christian Fiction Expert" at our church, who reads widely, claims that this book was the best novel to be published in 2002. "Not A Sparrow Falls" was a finalist in very competitive "Christy Awards".

This book starts out rather strangely, especcially for a Christian novel. Main character Bridie is living with a drug manufacturer and buys the supplies to make the [drugs.]She manages to escape and try to make a new life for herself. While she was working as a cashier at the local grocery store, "Bag and Save", she is discovered by the sister of a widowed pastor who needs some help with his children and his home. I won't tell you anymore, except to say that I really grew attached to the characters in this book. Linda Nichols writes with sensitivity and humor.

Linda's next book, "If I Gained the World" is being published by Bethany House in October of 2003 - I can't wait to read it!

Please check out my other reviews! God bless you!

This was a heartwarming story of new-beginnings and the power of love. Not just romantic love; but the love of God, the love of parents and children, and the love of friends. The book has extremely well-drawn characters. We get to know Bridie, Alasdair, Samantha, and Lorna so well that we care deeply about their happiness. I could even feel some sympathy toward Jonah, the drug-dealing felon, when the story was all told.

I usually read books of the thriller/mystery genre, but this one was a very restful respite from that type of literature. It just gave me a feel-good feeling when I was done.

I read Nichols' If I Gained the World a couple years ago, and that's why I wanted to read this one. The beginning started strong, with the old lady praying, but then it switched viewpoint, and switched, and switched...until I didn't really know what story I was following and who to care about. I ended up not really caring about anyone at all, just observing as I read. It was hard to get into it, and still halfway through, I wanted to give put it away. I skimmed a couple chapters until it came close to the end again.

The storyline itself has potential; young girl goes wrong and wants another chance. Some parts were good, but it took me awhile and a bit of patience to find them. The symbolism of the Sparrow was a nice touch too. However, I found it hard to believe that Bridie could go from the meth world into a nanny position so quickly and easily. She was too perfect at it, almost Marry Poppins-like. There wasn't a lot of struggle with the lifestyle change, only the guilty conscience. The end was too tidy, and IMO did not deliver the building suspense that it seemed to be leading to. It was a bit anti-climatic, and then everyone lived happily ever after.

For the Christian audience, I know that many will just love this story of faith and redemption, which is the target audience. So I give it a few stars for meeting that audience. But for an overall story, I was disappointed.

Linda Nichols has done a wonderful job with Not a Sparrow Falls. This heart warming and poignant story will touch your heart and soul. You will laugh, cry, and cheer for Birdie, (Mary Bridget Washburn's assumed name) as she runs from her past only to find she must resolve those issues before she can truly help those she comes to love. The story is beautifully written with a tapestry of scenes that tug at your heart. I throughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to others.

Mary is scared and in over her head. Not knowing where to turn, she escapes, however the freedom she finds is only partial as she is haunted by the sins of her past. It isn't until she reaches out to a troubled young girl from a family stricken with pain that she begins to piece her disjointed life back together and in doing so learns what it means to love again. In Linda Nichols book, Not a Sparrow Falls Mary Washburn leaves behind her given name and assimilates to the name of her mother, Bridget--Bridie for short. Follow Bridie on her emotionally charged journey to save a young girl and in doing so, save herself.

I applaud Linda Nichols for her work on Not A Sparrow Falls. So many authors shy away from topics such as drugs, alcohol abuse, and suicide, but Nichols broached them with sincerity and truth. She portrayed the dangers of substance abuse and the lifelong impact with great clarity and truth while not crossing any descriptive lines that could compromise the integrity of the reader. At the heart of it all is Christ's redeeming power, the love of Christ for those whom have sinned beyond what they believe he could forgive and lastly, the power of prayer. I could easily recommend this book to any of my friends and be confident that they would enjoy it!

I really enjoyed this book. Though it was fiction, at least I believe it was, it really touched my heart and brought my thoughts to God. It is true not a sparrow falls, God is always there and has a plan for each of our lives. He gently leads us, protects us and watches over us. He answers our every prayer though at the time we may not know it. This is an excellent book. I am buying this book, although I own it in a Reader's Digest Select Edition ... just so I can share it with others. It is a very touching and uplifting dive into us and the love of God. Read it and enjoy ... :)

I did not like this book at all. I thought everything was far fetched. I can't imagine real people living like this. It certainly did not inspire my faith one iota. I read it for book club and most of the women in the group enjoyed the book, but felt the situations were all a little contrived. No other reviewer has mentioned the fact that the mother kills herself in the book. How can that make it a great book? Of course that part of the book was very realistic. I must be honest and say that I was very depressed after losing my mother very suddenly, so I read the book with a heavy heart. I loved Ms. Nichols book "At the Scent of Water" and have sent my copy to friends out of state. Therefore, I know she is a great writer. This one just didn't do it for me.

I thought this was a sweet, touching story overall. It is a contemporary Christian fiction book. The characters and plot were interesting and unique. I really felt for all of them. The writing was good and drew me in from the beginning. Some parts were beautiful. The ending was fitting and I liked it. The main theme is forgiveness. Recommended.

Review copy provided by publisher.

this is an interesting, captivating story, read well. keeps your attention. Will definitely buy more by the author and the reader.

This book turned out to be a disappointment and a time-waster. I had hoped it wouldn't end up being cliche or forgettable because of the unusual beginning and the direction in which I THOUGHT it was going. But the story turned out to be boring, and I didn't find any of the characters remotely interesting. I had absolutely no sympathy for Samantha (the teenage girl archetype is overdone and tiresome), the character development of Bridget was mediocre, and Alasdair, the male protagonist, had nothing even CLOSE to a personality. As a general rule, if an author wants to go with a theme that's been done several times (such as a prodigal turning back to the faith) it has to be done exceptionally well.

As horrible as it sounds, the list of complaints could go on and on. As a sixteen year old, I feel I could have crafted this story better than Nichols and that's without being presumptuous. All in all, I feel like the book had potential, but it was tragically wasted. I will not be reading any more books by this Christian author. Generally, I enjoy Christian fiction - historical, contemporary, and suspense - but I am selective about what I read. I am not giving this a positive review because I am not satisfied with merely a predictable Christian message and a failed attempt at originality.