I enjoyed this book, but not as much as the other one I read by Hellenga.
This one follows the family of a young woman killed in the Madrid train station bombing. The story is mostly about the father and one of the sisters. The marriage of the two parents breaks apart, with the mother eventually entering a convent. The father, a professor of classics at a midwestern university, struggles the most with moving on, but eventually does so by going to Italy and following the trial of the woman accused of placing the bomb.

This is a tough book to rate. I did not like it as well as The Sixteen Pleasures, but gave it the same rating. If you want to try Hellenga, try Sixteen Pleasures. His writing is lush and beautiful, but I had to put this book down and read other things. It is intense and very emotional. At least it was for me.

I found this comforting and simply beautiful.

Review: The Fall of a Sparrow by Robert Hellenga

In The Fall of a Sparrow, Robert Hellenga gives the reader many interesting points to ponder and varied locations to visit, Iowa, Massachusetts, and Italy among them. Woody and Hannah Woodhull had three daughters, Cookie, Sara, and Ludi. In 1980 Cookie, age 22, was killed in a terrorist bombing in Italy. This novel, partly written in the third person about Woody and partly written in the first person by Sara, tells how the waters of the Woodhull family’s lives rippled out in years following this tragic event hurled into their pond by God or the gods.

I mention God because before part one begins, the author gives three quotes. One is from the bible, Matthew 10:29, “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And yet one of them shall not fall to the ground without your Father knowing.” But that is perhaps the last evidence of any faith that God cares about Cookie and the Woodhull family. Since Woody is a classics professor, his line of thinking almost always supports mythological views of distant, capricious gods that cannot shed light on baffling Why’s after a bombing. And Woody’s faith life seems empty; he believes he is on his own in this world with no divine comfort or guidance.

The second quote, from Bede’s Ecclesiastical History, uses sparrow imagery to describe the fragility of life. Reading The Fall of a Sparrow certainly accentuated that sense of vulnerability. The third quote, “There’s a special providence in the fall of a sparrow,” is from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, V.II. When I saw Woodhull family members work through their grief and figure out who they were and wanted to be after Cookie’s senseless death, I could see the aptness of that quote. Indeed, Hellenga reminds us of the Shakespeare quote toward the end of the novel.

I truly liked and empathized with the characters in this novel. Some parts, like the sexually explicit exploits of a middle-aged man, I could not identify with and found uncomfortable to read. But other aspects, like Woody’s questioning his relevance and identity and abilities in middle age, resonated with me. The stories of Woody’s, Hannah’s, Sara’s, and Ludi’s lostness leading to foundness give four very real pictures of grief. Woody’s being in academia influences the novel’s verbiage; many academic references were above my head. As I mentioned earlier, the spiritual emptiness of classic civilizations permeated this story, and I found grief with no hope of joy depressing. That the story is rich in music, growth, and cross-cultural experiences makes it worth a read though.

From the very first page Robert Hellenga plunges you deep into the trials and sorrows of an otherwise "ordinary" family. Using his professional experience as a classics professor, Mr. Hellenga takes us deep into sorrow and change. It's beautifully written and a truly great work of fiction.

This was an exceptional book that was recommended by a friend with wonderful taste in books. The story of how one man deals with devastating grief and the twisted road of life that it leads him down is realistic, charming, and chalk full of emotion. You want to know Woody. The other characters in the book/Woody's life are also individuals that you want to know. It's a great read, and would especially be recommended for those with an interest in literature and/or music as those both play large roles in Woody's life and hence this book.

really rich, multi-layered story.

I felt this book was ok. It didn't grab my attention. The story didn't seem to have a climax. I also didn't like all the sentences in Greek and Italian since I didn't know what they meant, so I just skim those parts.

A favorite of mine since it was first published in 1998, my book club read it this past year. It is a beautiful book with engaging characters and heart-rending situations. I love it every time I read it.

Ugh

I liked this book, but it was too long- could have used some editing. The premise that things that happen in life, however bad must and can be absorbed,is a good one. There is much to learn about American experience of Italian culture- that it isn't always a pleasant tour.

Abandoning this book...oh my gosh..this is so dry and boring I could only force myself to read 96 pages..Good luck if you choose this book!