The Parable of the Sower
A Book Review by Larry Duggins

As I was searching for an audio book to ride with me on my annual summer trek to Asheville, I stumbled upon The Parable of the Sower by Octavia E Butler. I was hoping to find something written by someone who has a different life view than my own and Ms Butler was an African-American author winner of a Hugo, a Nebula award and a MacArthur Fellowship. Pretty strong credentials.

I did not know what to expect, so I was a bit surprised to find myself in a sci-fi story about a young girl making her way in a disintegrating American culture. As society crumbles around her, she begins to form impressions that pull together into a religion/dream for the future based on the idea that God is change.  Over several years, through reflection and journaling, she forms a body of scripture which she shares with her fellow travelers.  She heads north to form a community of believers around her vision of God and humanity.

I found it mildly hysterical that my choice of a summer sci-fi read ends up being about a new vision of God and the importance of community.  But there it is.  I will start on her next installment, The Parable of the Talents, later this week.

See more of what the staff at MWF is reading here.