The Burden of Sparrows

A Heartwarming, Emotional, Contemporary Novel

By: Debra Payne

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

"A poignant debut with beautiful writing." - Kirkus Review

A broken man. A lost boy. A chance for redemption in the wilds of Northern Michigan.

School custodian Buddy Robertson hides from the scars of abuse and loss, finding comfort only in the rhythms of the Northern Michigan wilderness—the hush of falling snow, the sweetness of maple sap, and the return of each spring's birdsong. He and his partner Mags live a quiet, humble existence.

When Buddy meets Ben, a boy struggling with his own demons, their fragile bond forces Buddy to confront the painful past he has long buried. As seasons turn and secrets surface, he must decide whether to retreat into solitude—or embrace the healing power of connection.

A deeply moving story of resilience, hope, and second chances, The Burden of Sparrows is perfect for readers of William Kent Krueger, Fredrik Backman, and anyone who believes even the most broken hearts can be made whole again.

When you are child and bad things happen to you and you are degraded to think it is your fault … how sad

I often could not separate stories said in past and current times… voice of can reader was point so flat I was falling asleep and often I was not able to separate story said in past or present time

Empty hollowness of AI narrator.

The AI voice made the story difficult to listen to. It lacked emotion, accent and any kind of inflection. Please use real humans for narration,

AI ruined it

Unfortunately the AI narration of this story takes away so much for the emotional aspect of this novel. The performance completely changed the feeling of the story. I do not recommend listening to this at all.

Compelling story

l enjoyed the character development as well as the story. The virtual reader is new to me and I found it a bit strange. Occasionally word emphasis didn't sound right.