Silver Sparrow

Written by Tayari Jones

Narrated by Heather Simms and Rosalyn Coleman-Williams

Set in a middle-class neighborhood in Atlanta in the 1980s, Silver Sparrow revolves around James Witherspoon's two families--the public one and the secret one. When the daughters from each family meet and form a friendship, only one of them knows they are sisters. It is a relationship destined to explode when secrets are revealed and illusions shattered. As Jones explores the backstories of her rich yet flawed characters--the father, the two mothers, the grandmother, and the uncle--she also reveals the joy, as well as the destruction, they brought to one another's lives. At the heart of it all are the two lives at stake, and like the best writers--think Toni Morrison with The Bluest Eye--Jones portrays the fragility of these young girls with raw authenticity as they seek love, demand attention, and try to imagine themselves as women, just not as their mothers.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Blackstone Audio
• Release date: Jun 1, 2011
• ISBN: 9780792777557

Tayari Jones

New York Times best-selling author Tayari Jones is the author of four novels, including An American Marriage, Silver Sparrow, The Untelling, and Leaving Atlanta. Jones holds degrees from Spelman College, Arizona State University, and the University of Iowa. A winner of numerous literary awards, she is a professor of creative writing at Emory University. 

Reviews for Silver Sparrow

[whisper1_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

There's a lot to like about this book. Primarily, the author is excellent at portraying character development. A man who shares time and financial resources with two families is portrayed from the perspective of the bigamist, the two wives, one of whom, while there is a piece of paper signed by a judge, is not legally married. Their daughter Dana is almost the same age as the daughter who knows nothing of her father's other family. Dana's tale is heartbreaking. Knowing that more time and financial resources are given to his legal family, she lives her life trying not to feel second best. Her mother is manipulative and in is the least able to like in the host of characters.When, as teens, the two daughters meet and develop a short-lived friendship, it is only a matter of time until all discover the secrets.I will search for more written by this author. She took a complex subject, drew a sensitive portrait of each impacted in the family while not painting it as a soap opera.Four Stars

[delrica-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A story about two girls and the family they share, Silver Sparrow speaks to the issue of secret children. Centering on the lives of two girls with the same father and different mothers, it portrays their living arrangements and the growing pains of girlhood. The interpersonal dynamics throughout the book give depth to the typical complexities of a love triangle which was displayed via the points of view of the girls. James, the uncle, was introduced as a pivotal character instrumental in certain scenes to move the plot forward but continued to hang around throughout the remainder of a book as an unneeded extra. Events and landmarks were used in a inadequate attempt to authenticate dates and locations; as if they were tucked into the book after the fact not woven into the original fabric of the story. The ending, though true to life, did little to sum up the events that had taken place and left unanswered questions. The best thing about this book is the poem in the beginning by US Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey. I do hope to see more from this author as she grows.

[suesbooks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book was very interesting and able to present real people dealing with life's difficulties. The writing was good, although I liked the writing from Dana's perspective better than that from Chaurisse. The book was non-judgmental and very caring.

[lycomayflower · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Set mostly in the eighties, this is the story of the daughters of James Witherspoon, bigamist. One daughter, the "secret" daughter, knows that her father is a bigamist and knows who his first wife and child are. The other daughter does not. The book is divided into two sections, one told from each daughter's point of view, and telling the story of this extended family and how the secret comes out. I wanted to like this better than I did. I felt like the story was there and the writing was pretty good, but the book just didn't sing for me. There was no spark. I also had a lot of trouble holding the setting--1980s Atlanta--in mind. I constantly had to remind myself that it wasn't set in the fifties, because there seemed to be almost no cultural or pop cultural context (except for the occasional reference to Bill Cosby, and boy howdy does that play differently now than it would have when the book was published in 2011). Not a bad read, but disappointing in the end.

[mizpurplest · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Really compelling, interesting book with good characters and complex structure. It didn't end as strongly as I wanted it to, but I really enjoyed it all the same. I did wish that the characters had grown more.

[medixon_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Enjoyed this read. I will seek others by this author.

[nikolea-2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This story shares the frustrations sister born to a bigamist father. One is burdened with keeping her father's secret, while the other has no idea her father's other family even exists. Similar in age, they are both navigating their teenage years and learning what family truly is. The story is totally relatable to all "silver sparrows" in this world.

[lilibrarian · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

In the 1980's, James Witherspoon has two families. Dana and her mother know about his primary family, but Laverne and Chaurisse do not know about them. But black Atlanta is a small community, and the two girls keep meeting, becoming friends. But only one of them knows they are sisters until it all comes apart.

[cosimas-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The concept of Silver Sparrow was compelling but the execution left a lot to be desired. The first half was dull and unremarkable for a story about an "outside" child's view on her father's bigotry. I found the haphazard narration to be distracting as the story was full of flashbacks, whether they were relevant or not. The second half, told from the point of view of the "real" daughter, was better mostly because the reader knows things the narrator doesn't from the first half. I was disappointed by what felt like an incomplete ending. Maybe it's supposed to show that real life isn't so tidy, but it felt too abrupt to even allow for resolution.

[vnesting-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Well written book that raises excellent questions about being a daughter, a sister, a father. Great discussion book.

[dianekeenoy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book was a recommendation from one of my favorite authors, Ann Patchett. It's the story of two families, one husband/father. One public wife and daughter and one hidden wife and daughter. Told from the two daughters' point of view, this book held my interest right through to the end. Tayari Jones is an excellent writer, I've already ordered her two earlier books.

[gayla.bassham · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really, really loved this book. There has been a lot of fuss made about Tayari Jones's writing, and it is very fine, but what made the book for me was her feel for her characters, and her real sympathy for all of them. It would have been so easy to make one or more of these characters into the villain of the piece, but I felt that Jones understood and empathized with all of them. This isn't an action-packed thriller--not a whole lot happens--but I couldn't put it down because I really wanted to see what would happen to Dana and Chaurisse and their families. The ending was a bit abrupt, but other than that, I can't think of any quibbles. One of the best books I've read this year.

[jwood652 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Set in 1980"s Atlanta, the story is about a man with two wives, each with a daughter. Surprisingly, the second wife and also her daughter know all about the first marriage, while the other wife and daughter remain totally unaware of the situation for many years. It is an interesting book, exploring the dynamics of the situation including feelings of unequal treatment and difficulties keeping the first wife from discovering the other. The author explores the story from each girl's point of view, giving insights on the effects on the girls. I really enjoyed the book, but wanted more details and more from the wive"s perspectives. Also, the conclusion seems somewhat incomplete, to me.

[bogopea · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Enjoyed this story of bigamist father to 2 different black families, each having a daughter born just months' apart. First half is from point of view of daughter that was "illegitimate". Second half was POV of other daughter. Each told the story of their family life, with father in the forefront. At end of second half, the 2 families collide and changes things forever.

[willowstarserenity · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I just finished reading Silver Sparrow. It is a novel written by Tayari Jones. This book is about two families who would have completely independent lives if it wasn't for one small detail. They have the same husband. The man married both women because he got them both pregnant. The second wife knew about the other wife and about their daughter. The first wife had no clue about the second wife or her daughter. I can honestly say that I loved this book. I didn't want it to end. I love how she placed it in both of the daughter's perspectives. I feel it added a more clarifying point to the whole situation. I loved how much I got sucked into the book. I felt for both of the girls. I have to be honest. I had more sympathy for Dana than I did Chaurisse. At the end, I started realizing how spoiled Chaurisse truly was. I feel there were certain parts that could have been told in more detail. They were written out perfectly without the details though. I also would have liked to seen a few chapters from the mothers' perspectives. I think that would have been pretty awesome. I understand why it was written the way it was though. I fully recommend this book to anybody. It's a very powerful story. I loved it, and I'm sure others will love it just as much as I did. If I had the money to do so, I'd buy a copy for all my friends and family to read. I can't tell you enough how beautiful and powerful this story really is. Get a copy and find out for yourself. You won't regret it.

[brainannex · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book had such hype and so many book club selections that I don't know that it could have lived up to it all. I enjoyed the book, certainly, a solid read, but it wasn't overwhelmingly fantastic like I was led to believe.

[mearias-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a SAD, SAD, SAD, SAD, SAD book... I couldn't put it down. I went to bed with such sadness for these characters and am still thinking of them.

The father is a selfish, cruel man; no matter that he is described as different in the book. I REALLY didn't like him. The uncle is tool.

The mother is a sad fool. The wife and daughters broke my heart. I was so hoping for a happy ending for Dana. I wanted her to have a good ending... this book just left me a little broken for them.

A very gifted author and a very good book.

[melissarochelle_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Read from December 02 to 10, 2011I wanted this book to keep going! Don't get me wrong, it has a perfectly satisfying conclusion, but I wanted more Dana and Chaurisse. It's so difficult for me to dislike anyone in this book even though so many of them did the wrong thing, but that also makes them believable characters. No one truly sets out to be evil and everyone makes a bad choice sometimes. It's how you react to that bad decision that matters.

[pidgeon92_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent novel.... Very realistic portrait of a family

[bluesgal79 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is one of those times I wish Goodreads would allow us the option of giving a half star, since saying I "liked" Silver Sparrow is an understatement.

I truly appreciate spending time in an understated novel. Tayari Jones writes with such a light hand about such weighty issues that I believe it accurate to compare her -- favorably -- to Anne Tyler and the early novels of Barbara Kingsolver.

As always, I will spare you a recap of the storyline, since that's already provided just fine without any more help from me.

I will not hesitate to recommend this to my customers, especially those coming off a run of white-knuckle thrillers who want something with more heart.

[arielfl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Dana and Yarboro and Bunny Chaurisse Witherspoon are sisters but only Dana knows it. Dana and her mother are part of her bigamist father Jame's secret second family. A family that always has to stay in the shadows while living off the crumbs of the first legal family. How Dana's mother got them into this predicament makes for a fascinating story. The first half of the book is told from Dana's perspective and the second half from that of Chaurisse. You really feel for both girls and the situation that they find themselves in which is the fault of the adults, especially James, yet both girls end up paying the price for their parents decisions. The characters made some frustrating decisions at times but you couldn't help but root for the two girls. Tayari Jones shows how two girls who could have been best friends are instead ripped apart by the secret and lies in their families.

[bookchickdi · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

When a novel starts with the sentence, "My father, James Witherspoon, is a bigamist", you know it's going to be an intriguing book. Tayari Jones' luminous novel has two narrators, Dana Lynn Yarboro, who knows that she has a sister and that her father has two wives, and Chaurisse Witherspoon, who does not know about her sister or her father's other wife.Dana tells us how her daddy was buying his first wife Laverne an anniversary gift, and he fell in love with the woman at the gift wrap counter of the department store, her mama Gwen. Gwen knew right away that James was married, yet she still dated him, fell in love and had his baby. She also insisted that they get married in the next state over, and James agreed.When Dana was five, she drew a picture of her family in school, including her daddy's two wives and two girls. Her daddy told her then that she couldn't tell anyone about him or his other wife or daughter. When Dana asked if they were a secret, he told her "no, you've got it the wrong way around. Dana, you are the one who is secret."That moment changed her life. Dana and her mother would go 'surveilling', following Laverne and Chaurisse around, spying on them. Every Wednesday, James would come to Dana's house for dinner, sometimes accompanied by his best friend Raleigh, who also knew the secret.Gwen fought for her daughter, shaming James into paying for science classes, any extra she could get to make up for the fact that Dana did not have a daddy she could acknowledge publicly. Gwen worked long, hard hours as a nurse, resenting that Laverne, the other wife, got to work out of her own home in a beauty parlor she owned.Dana resented Laverne and Chaurisse, especially when Chaurisse got things Dana wanted. She got a job at the local amusement park, but couldn't take it because Chaurisse got a job there too. When her daddy presented her with a beautiful rabbit fur jacket, she felt special, until she saw Chaurisse wearing the same jacket.The second half of the book is narrated by Chaurisse, and I thought it was the stronger half of the book. Chaurisse is a sympathetic character. She is lonely, not pretty or smart like Dana. She didn't have any friends, and neither did her mother.I found this intriguing; none of the women in this book had friends, they were all lonely. You might say that because Dana and Gwen were a secret, they probably wouldn't have many friends, but why didn't Laverne or Chaurisse have friends? Laverne was exposed to many women at her home beauty salon, but she seemed to have no friends. I wonder if this is a commentary on these women or on all women?I didn't really have a handle on James as a character, he seemed to be an OK guy, but he always appeared a bit out of focus for me. Raleigh, on the other hand, was a fascinating character. James' mother took him in as a child, and he grew up like James' brother.Raleigh had so many good qualities, but somehow he got swept into James' deceptive life. He always seemed to be the one who tried to make things right, to smooth things over for everyone. But he was lonely too, never having a family or love of his own because he had to keep the peace for James and his two families.The author said that all stories are about secrets, and that what happens when the secret is revealed is the interesting part. Eventually, James' secret comes out, and the sadness and heartbreak that follows makes for gripping reading.The writing in Silver Sparrow is just beautiful, and this story has a lot to say about the relationship between mothers and daughters and between sisters. One line really resonated with me. Chaurisse was a bit envious of the easy conversation between her mother and Dana, saying "it was like my mother was a newspaper that everyone could read except for me." I think it's true that we don't see our mothers in the same way others do.This luminous story grabbed me right at the beginning, and I found myself caring so deeply about these characters, it was like they were people I actually knew. I rooted for them all to be OK, even though the situation dictated that it may not end that way. Tayari Jones has written a lovely novel, one that begs to read again and again.

[tigerlms · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Dana and Chaurisse are sisters, but at the start of the book they don't know each other-- although Dana knows about Chaurisse. Dana is the secret daughter, born of a secret wife. Their father, James, is a limo driver who is married to two different women at the same time, one of them illegally. The girls are growing up in Atlanta in the late-1970s and early- to mid-1980s. The story is told from two points of view: first is Dana's, as we see her struggle with being the 'secret' daughter who eventually tries to befriend Chaurisse. The second part of the book is Chaurisse's perspective. Tayari Jones has written a young adult novel with an original concept that will appeal to teens, especially, I think, intelligent girls.

[herbcat_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

The writing in this book is okay and sometimes quite evocative, but I was so turned off by the content that I cannot give it a good rating. This situation and plot contributes all too easily to black stereotypes in the minds of many non-blacks, and the role models the girls present is a bad one and not actually authentic, as I know black teens. Sexual intercourse is not automatic and casual as this book would imply is the case, nor is it for black adults as the book also implies. I'm not sure what the point of the book is except to tell a frustrating story of what happens when actions and values stray from the honorable, the chaste. I suppose I am narrow minded, but this book seemed a sordid and contemptible account of lives gone wrong. It gives good reason for following mores against adultery and bigamy, but the examples are so obvious that one cannot admire or be taken by their subtlety. Furthermore, no real regret or change of behavior is indicated in any of the players involved.

[smileydq · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book was not exactly what I was expecting when I first picked it up. The writing is excellent, though the story is heartbreaking. Jones divided the novel into two halfs: the first is Dana's story, in her own words, of life as a secret daughter in a secret family; the second is Chaurisse's much more mundane tale of life in what she sees as a normal family. Dana's experiences are awful, as are (in my opinion) the adults in her life who enable and create her negative environment. Though Chaurisse is not directly to blame for the way that Dana is treated, her very existence as the public daughter nearly destroys her hidden sister's dreams. Jones tells an engaging story, one that made me want to keep reading. I was truly disappointed by the Epilogue however, which left me with a bad taste in my mouth and less respect for the characters than I had previously held. I give 'Silver Sparrow' 3.5 stars - I'd recommend it, but be prepared for a little disappointment in your fellow man.

[beamis12 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Well written book with beautiful language about a black family in the siuth whose husband and father is a bigamist. He has two families and two daughters roughly the same age. Though the first family knows about the first, his first family doesn't have the same knowledge. When as a five year old his second daughter is told by her father that she is the secret family it colors her whole life. when the two daughters become friends many things happen.

[pmlyayakkers · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

In the 1980's, James Witherspoon has two families. Dana and her mother know about his primary family, but Laverne and Chaurisse do not know about them. But black Atlanta is a small community, and the two girls keep meeting, becoming friends. But only one of them knows they are sisters until it all comes apart.

[tangledthread · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The story is written in the voice of two teenage girls, Dana and Chaurisse, who were born 3 months apart and share the same father but have different mothers. Dana and her mother Gwendolyn are the secret family of James Witherspoon. He carries out the charade of bigamy with the help of his best friend (like a brother) and partner in his chauffer business, Raleigh The first half of the book is narrated by Dana, the second half by Chaurisse.The story is beautifully written and explores the themes of what it means to be family, the destructive nature of secrets and lies, and how people use their imaginations to define others when truth is concealed. The author tells the story in meaningful scenes and illustrations of African American life in Atlanta from the early 1960's to the late 1980's. Sprinkled through the narrative are little aphorisms such as "pretty ain't easy". Algonquin press has hit another home run in publishing this book.

[pdplish · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The story told by 2 girls who ar the daughters of a bigamist...only one doesn't know about the other. Kinda dragged and was really disappointing in the end. Thank goodness it was short.

[latosha_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I absolutely love this book. It is a very simple and classic read. I actually think that the brilliance of Tayari's writing is demonstrated in the simplicity of the story. I so appreciate reading the different perspectives of the two main characters. This story creativity makes readers reflect on the complexities of love and relationships. I also think the story makes readers examine our perspectives, judgement and of love and relationships. This was a very powerful read for me.