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The Parable of the Sower (Parable, 1)

From a celebrated, award-winning author, a modern classic about a young girl fighting for survival in a post-apocalyptic world, perfect for fans of N.K. Jemisin and Margaret Atwood.

Fifteen-year-old Lauren Olamina lives inside a gated community with her preacher father, family, and neighbors, sheltered from the surrounding social chaos and anarchy caused by climate change and economic crisis. In a society where any vulnerability is a risk, she suffers from hyperempathy--a debilitating sensitivity to others' emotions.

Precocious and clear-eyed, Lauren must make her voice heard in order to protect her loved ones from the imminent disasters her small community stubbornly ignores. But what begins as a fight for survival soon leads to something much more: the birth of a new faith . . . and a startling vision of human destiny.

Includes a foreword by LeVar Burton and an afterword by N. K. Jemisin

Lauren's story continues in The Parable of the Talents.

"In the ongoing contest over which dystopian classic is most applicable to our time, Octavia Butler's 'Parable' books may be unmatched."--The New Yorker

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368 pages

Average rating: 7.73

801 RATINGS

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31 REVIEWS

Community Reviews

rhiandmoi
Feb 26, 2025
8/10 stars
While there were parts of the book that I found hard to believe due to my knowledge of California geography, this is a really great dystopian hellscape. It’s crazy that the book takes place in 2024-2027, and you can really see the every similarities to our actual timeline. I found it so anxiety inducing - which is the point.
Hilairelynne
Feb 21, 2025
10/10 stars
I cannot put into words how relevant this piece of work feels existing in the years the story took place in. In an alternate reality, people read this book in the 90s and made choices that made this feel like science fiction rather than a premonition of what's to come. I'm in the wrong reality.
fjacinta
Feb 09, 2025
9/10 stars
We loved the sense of community this book brings out despite the environment of despair the story takes place in. It shows that through community you can learn to build trust and experience the power of collaboration. The book is a stark reminder of how quickly the world will decay when humans turn on one another. It was terrifying to read yet we found some hope in how people were able to support one another through the the most difficult of circumstances. An incredibly powerful story.
Spoken Black Girl
Jan 21, 2025
10/10 stars
Infused with the horror of one empire ending and the hope of a new beginning, Parable of the Sower is a “cautionary tale” that feels eerily close to reality.
Tanesha’s Tips
Dec 12, 2024
8/10 stars
See my goodreads review!

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