What is the author's style in The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell?

The novel is told from the third person point of view. This allows the author to clearly relay most of the story through Emilio Sandoz' flashback without confusion. Emilio Sandoz has already experienced the Rakhat trip in the present, 2059. The reader is told of his present experience and recovery in Rome and Naples. At the same time, the author starts the story of how the group of friends meets and mission plans come together. Eventually, Sandoz begins to relay his story to the priest inquisition and his flashbacks cross, blend and then merge with the voice of the author to tell the story of the time on the planet Rakhat. This method also helps to keep the characters and their views objective for the reader. There are a number of characters so an objective voice is also necessary for the reader to relate with each character and place themselves in the situations faced as the moral and physical challenges emerge.