About the book
Masterful in its portrayal of love, sex and friendship - The Observer
'Utterly engrossing, vivid and honest' - Emma Donoghue
Raised in a brothel at the edge of a dying empire, a boy of no known origin creates his own identity. He is Sparrow, who sings without reason and can fly from trouble. His world is a kitchen, a herb-scented garden, a loud and dangerous tavern, and the mysterious upstairs where the wolves prostitutes and slaves from every corner of the empire conduct their business.
He spends his days listening to stories told by his beloved mother Euterpe, running errands for her lover the cook, and dodging the blows of their brutal overseer and the machinations of the chief wolf, Melpomene. A hard fate awaits Sparrow, one that involves suffering, murder, mayhem, and the scattering of the women who have been his whole world.
Through meticulous research and bold imagination, James Hynes brings the entirety of the Roman city of Carthago Nova its markets, temples, taverns of the lowly and mansions of the rich to vivid, brutal life. Walking through lost places, hearing forgotten voices, this story belongs to the slave class that made an infamous empire function.
This is one of the most powerfully affecting and memorable characters of recent fiction.
This is Sparrow.
Journal & Events
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An Interview with David Fennell
Goldsboro BooksWe had David Fennell in to sign our copies of A Violent Heart! Full of suspense, the return of DI Archer will have you gripped until the very last page....
Goldsboro BooksAn Interview with David Fennell
We had David Fennell in to sign our copies of A Violent Heart! Full of suspense, the return of DI Archer will have you gripped until the very last page....
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An Interview with Laura Shepperson
Goldsboro BooksWe recently had Laura Shepperson in to sign her special edition copies of The Heir of Venus. From the Sunday Times bestselling author comes a new spellbinding retelling set at...
Goldsboro BooksAn Interview with Laura Shepperson
We recently had Laura Shepperson in to sign her special edition copies of The Heir of Venus. From the Sunday Times bestselling author comes a new spellbinding retelling set at...
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Special Editions & Sprayed Edges: A Modern Revival
David HeadleyA sprayed edge is often thought of as the cherry on the cake of a new special edition book. Whilst the content within the book itself is of course what’s...
David HeadleySpecial Editions & Sprayed Edges: A Modern Revival
A sprayed edge is often thought of as the cherry on the cake of a new special edition book. Whilst the content within the book itself is of course what’s...
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An Interview with Rachel Blackmore, author of C...
Goldsboro BooksWe recently had the lovely Rachel Blackmore in to sign her special edition copies of Costanza. We absolutely loved this novel as you are transported to Rome in the 1600s. We...
Goldsboro BooksAn Interview with Rachel Blackmore, author of C...
We recently had the lovely Rachel Blackmore in to sign her special edition copies of Costanza. We absolutely loved this novel as you are transported to Rome in the 1600s. We...
