I wish I’d read “Parable of the Sower” in a class or book club because I’m certain my reading for pleasure approach meant I missed some messages. But the audiobook was great and brought to life this bleak, but beautifully written story. The epistolary nature of the novel told through diary entries  provided an intimate window into Lauren’s thoughts as she develops the religion of Earthseed. This book doesn’t just cover religion; it covers every social issue you can think of and thus has every trigger warning you can think of, so be aware. The audiobook narrator has a mature voice, which I thought was an interesting choice. On the one hand, it made the narration feel a bit more detached and from a bird’s-eye view, which reflects trauma well. And on the other hand, it made it seem the horrific events impacted Lauren less, which I think does the book a disservice. Lauren’s hyperempathy — she experiences other people’s pain — was an interesting plot device to show the best of humanity amidst the background of the worst of it. A really important read, and a surreal one to read right now since it’s set in the “future” but starts in the year 2024.