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When Sparrows Fall: A Novel Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Meg Moseley (Author), Matilda Novak (Narrator), Random House Audio (Publisher)
4.4 out of 5 stars 241 ratings

Freedom. Safety. Love. Miranda vows to reclaim them - for herself, and for her children.

A widow and mother of six, Miranda Hanford leads a quiet, private life. When the pastor of her close-knit church announces his plans to move the entire congregation to another state, Miranda jumps at the opportunity to dissolve ties with Mason Chandler and his controlling method of ruling his flock. But then Mason threatens to unearth secrets from her past, and Miranda feels trapped, terrified she'll be unable to protect her children.

College professor Jack Hanford is more than surprised when he gets a call from his estranged sister-in-law's oldest son, Timothy, informing him that Miranda has taken a serious fall and he has been named legal guardian of her children while she recovers. Quickly charmed by Miranda's children, Jack brings some much-needed life into the sheltered household. But his constant challenging of the family's conservative lifestyle makes the recovering mother uneasy and defensive - despite Jack's unnerving appeal.

As Jack tries to make sense of the mysterious Miranda and the secrets she holds so tightly, Mason's pressure on her increases. With her emotions stirring and freedom calling, can Miranda find a way to unshackle her family without losing everything?

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  1. Listening Length
    12 hours and 24 minutes
  2. Author
    Meg Moseley
  3. Narrator
    Matilda Novak
  4. Audible release date
    May 3, 2011
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Random House Audio
  7. ASIN
    B004YZ4IBO
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
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Product details

Listening Length 12 hours and 24 minutes
Author Meg Moseley
Narrator Matilda Novak
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date May 03, 2011
Publisher Random House Audio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B004YZ4IBO
Best Sellers Rank #600,146 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#3,331 in Clean & Wholesome Romance (Audible Books & Originals)
#5,363 in Christian Romance (Audible Books & Originals)
#17,374 in Women's Fiction (Audible Books & Originals)

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
241 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this novel well-written with wonderfully descriptive language and appreciate its depth of characters. The book features a delightful romance storyline, and one customer notes it's thought-provoking throughout. They describe it as a tear-jerker.

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21 customers mention "Readability"21 positive0 negative

Customers find the book to be a great read with a good story.

"This a great story about a family caught up in church and spiritual abuse, or cult-like behavior, however you see it...." Read more

"...This well-written book is a great bedtime read. I didn’t want to put it down." Read more

"...And the story is well-written, suspenseful and gripping, with a good dash of very realistically-written (not silly or over-the-top) romance, too!..." Read more

"...This is a book I would re read and recommend to others, it just that good...." Read more

11 customers mention "Writing quality"11 positive0 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, noting its wonderful descriptive language and sparkling prose.

"...I loved the writing style, the storyline and characters. If you like women’s fiction with a touch of romance, you’ll love this book." Read more

"...Moseley’s descriptive writing is wonderful. Her main characters are full of life and quite charming. This well-written book is a great bedtime read...." Read more

"...I feel like I really know the characters... the prose just SPARKLES, and the dialogue made me laugh so many times... I love the way the other main..." Read more

"...I wanted to give this novel a 5-star rating, it was a good story, well-written and entertaining...." Read more

9 customers mention "Character depth"9 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the depth of the characters in the book.

"...I loved the writing style, the storyline and characters. If you like women’s fiction with a touch of romance, you’ll love this book." Read more

"...Moseley’s descriptive writing is wonderful. Her main characters are full of life and quite charming. This well-written book is a great bedtime read...." Read more

"...I was easily drawn into this well-written book and its memorable characters as they struggled with loyalty, trust, deception, faith, and love...." Read more

"...The characters were reasonably well written, Miranda' s especially to my mind. Her strength of character as she battles is remarkable...." Read more

7 customers mention "Pacing"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the pacing of the book refreshing and thought-provoking, with one customer describing it as heartwarming.

"...this novel a 5-star rating, it was a good story, well-written and entertaining...." Read more

"...fairly and accurately portrayed the characters - including the delightful, intelligent children, and the issues - especially Jack and Miranda's..." Read more

"...weaving and creating, with her characters, a story that was both interesting and mildly thrilling...." Read more

"The unconditional love of the male main character was refreshing throughout this book...." Read more

7 customers mention "Romance"7 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the romance in the book, with one customer describing it as delightful and another noting its suspenseful elements.

"...I loved the writing style, the storyline and characters. If you like women’s fiction with a touch of romance, you’ll love this book." Read more

"...And the story is well-written, suspenseful and gripping, with a good dash of very realistically-written (not silly or over-the-top) romance, too!..." Read more

"...with her characters, a story that was both interesting and mildly thrilling. It was a page turner, but not in a traditional sense...." Read more

"...large number of minor characters, I found it to be a delightful story filled with romance, hope, and joy." Read more

3 customers mention "Heart wrenching"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book heart wrenching, with one describing it as a tear jerker.

"This novel is a tear jerker. You will get a sense for what many women in the ultra-conservative Christian culture endure...." Read more

"This book had it all including love, mystery, funny, sad. I just couldn't put it down. This is a definite read!!" Read more

"Heartwarming and heart wrenching..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Readinglove
    5.0 out of 5 stars I’ll miss these characters
    Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    This a great story about a family caught up in church and spiritual abuse, or cult-like behavior, however you see it. I found the main female character to be quite likable; a woman who loves her family and thankfully has a stubborn streak. The main male character, Uncle Jack, is quirky and had me laughing aloud at times, however when strength is needed, he is the very definition of it. I loved the writing style, the storyline and characters. If you like women’s fiction with a touch of romance, you’ll love this book.
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  • Lily R
    4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully written story
    Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    A young widow is held in the grips of a twisted pastor and his congregation’s narrow rules by a secret that could destroy her family. Miranda is raising her six children in a bubble, sheltering them from worldly things—like fiction—until an accident brings her husband’s estranged brother into their lives.

    Jack is a college professor, set on enlightening his nieces and nephews to literature and modern culture. Even though he has turned Miranda’s world on end, she is forced to rely on either Jack or the church people. She chooses Jack.

    Through his prodding, will Miranda be able to gather the courage to stand up to the controlling leader of the eccentric flock?

    This is a charming story of a self-reliant woman trying to summon the courage to rebel against a cult-like church leader, and a caring man who steps up to the sudden challenge of raising six children.

    Moseley’s descriptive writing is wonderful. Her main characters are full of life and quite charming. This well-written book is a great bedtime read. I didn’t want to put it down.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Robin L. Ganstrom
    5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written, and spot on!
    Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    I just finished reading this novel, and I am thinking of buying like a dozen copies of this book to give to people I know. The main character in the book is Miranda, a widowed mother of 6 kids, who is in an abusive cultish church, very patriarchal and isolationist. I actually grew up in a VERY similar environment... an isolationist, fundamentalist home-school organization. About the only difference is that the cult in this book is a smallish church, instead of a huge multi-national parachurch organization in which I was raised! The book is SO well written. I feel like I really know the characters... the prose just SPARKLES, and the dialogue made me laugh so many times... I love the way the other main character, Jack Hanford, talks... he is hilarious... and such a good example of a person from the "outside" trying to come to grips with the crazy beliefs of such a group... so many of which were familiar to me! No nicknames? No calling children "kids"? Long denim jumpers? Super long hair on the women? Fiction being outlawed(or in my upbringing, at least strongly discouraged and looked down on)? The ten year old daughter cooking meals from scratch for the whole family, including homemade whole wheat bread? Even the "earth mother" home decorating style, with dried flower wreaths and homemade quilts and the like... it was like deja' vu! Meg Mosely does a good job of drawing the reader into that world, and helping us understand it... both the good AND the bad. And the story is well-written, suspenseful and gripping, with a good dash of very realistically-written (not silly or over-the-top) romance, too! I stayed up until 4:30am finishing this book!

    READ THE BOOK. If you haven't already. I am serious. Get the book and read it. Now. It's that good. You will be thanking me. Seriously. Now. Order it. Today. Why haven't you gotten it yet?"
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  • Booklover2905
    5.0 out of 5 stars A great Read
    Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2011
    Verified Purchase
    When Sparrows Fall is Meg Moseley's debut novel and I can only say I can not wait to read more from her in the future. This is a book I would re read and recommend to others, it just that good.

    In this story we meet Miranda Hanford who is a widow and mother to six children. She is a member of a small conservative church in Georgia where she is considered the 'trouble maker'. When her pastor sees the need to move the entire congregation to another town Miranda sees this as an opportunity to leave the church and restart her life. The only catch to this is the pastor is trying all he can to not allow her to leave. He knows secrets of Miranda that has kept her fearful of him and makes it harder for her to leave.

    Everything begins to change when she falls and her estranged brother-in-law comes to help out and take care of her children. It is then when Miranda starts to be able to sort out her life and take charge. Will Miranda be able to leave the oppressive life she has been living? Will she learn what truly being a christian means?
    One person found this helpful
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  • patrick e bates
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good Story, Well Written
    Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    "When Sparrows Fall" Meg Moseley

    I wanted to give this novel a 5-star rating, it was a good story, well-written and entertaining. I took off the one star due to the ending ...it just seemed 'forced' or 'contrived' when, for me, the ending seemed to be going quite well without introducing that extra, added issue(s).

    Yes, it was a good novel and well-worth reading. And I love happy endings without full-scale, descriptions of hot, sweaty, wet, sloppy, animalistic sex scenes! Thank you very much.

    Read this novel, you'll like it and you'll like the storytelling.

    Patrick
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