The Book of Longings: A Novel
"An extraordinary novel . . . a triumph of insight and storytelling." --Associated Press "A true masterpiece." --Glennon Doyle, author of Untamed An extraordinary story set in the first century about a woman who finds her voice and her destiny, from the celebrated number one New York Times bestselling author of The Secret Life of Bees and The Invention of Wings In her mesmerizing fourth work of fiction, Sue Monk Kidd takes an audacious approach to history and brings her acclaimed narrative gifts to imagine the story of a young woman named Ana. Raised in a wealthy family with ties to the ruler of Galilee, she is rebellious and ambitious, with a brilliant mind and a daring spirit. She engages in furtive scholarly pursuits and writes narratives about neglected and silenced women. Ana is expected to marry an older widower, a prospect that horrifies her. An encounter with eighteen-year-old Jesus changes everything. Their marriage evolves with love and conflict, humor and pathos in Nazareth, where Ana makes a home with Jesus, his brothers, and their mother, Mary. Ana's pent-up longings intensify amid the turbulent resistance to Rome's occupation of Israel, partially led by her brother, Judas. She is sustained by her fearless aunt Yaltha, who harbors a compelling secret. When Ana commits a brazen act that puts her in peril, she flees to Alexandria, where startling revelations and greater dangers unfold, and she finds refuge in unexpected surroundings. Ana determines her fate during a stunning convergence of events considered among the most impactful in human history. Grounded in meticulous research and written with a reverential approach to Jesus's life that focuses on his humanity, The Book of Longings is an inspiring, unforgettable account of one woman's bold struggle to realize the passion and potential inside her, while living in a time, place and culture devised to silence her. It is a triumph of storytelling both timely and timeless, from a masterful writer at the height of her powers.
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Community Reviews
Imaginative story of biblical times, telling about Jesus’ adult life before he began preaching. In this otherwise historically authentic telling, he has a wife who, like other women of the time is rendered invisible by social custom and local laws. But this wife is a scribe and seeks to study and write, shocking pastime for a woman at the time. The characters are engaging and well drawn.
Hard to conceptualize a fictional telling of Jesus's life. Would like to read again someday with a more narrow lens bevause there's some really deep content. Fun historical fiction.
I don't usually read Christian fiction because it is usually hokey. But I would not put this in that genre because it has much more depth and the cultures seem well researched. I enjoyed the story and loved that it fills in some gaps about women in that time period, that are missing in the Bible. She is full of longings, but she is very loyal to those whose stories need to be told - she is going to tell them.
Beautifully written. Moving story about Ana, the imagined wife of Jesus, who answers her own deep calling to answer the largeness within.
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