This. Book. Is. So. Good.
Seriously.
Go get your hands on it right now.
The Book of Longings is the fictional story of Jesus’s (Yes, that Jesus) feminist wife, Ana. Author Sue Monk Kidd wove a narrative that is unbelievably immersive and reverential to the life and times of Jesus Christ. By focusing on the humanity of Jesus and the strength of the women around him, The Book of Longings breathes new life into an age-old story.
At a time when women were considered the property of men, Ana’s free-spirited nature is not well received. When Ana is betrothed to a much older widower, she knows that she must do something to escape. A chance meeting with a young man named Jesus makes her even more desperate for her freedom. She turns to what she knows best – her writing and her prayers. A shocking twist answers Ana’s yearnings, and her new life begins.
“I am Ana. I was the wife of Jesus ben Joseph of Nazareth. All my life, longings lived inside me, rising up like noturnes to wail an sing through the night. That my husband bent his heart to mine on our thin straw mat and listened was the kindness I most loved in him. What he heard was my life begging to be born.”
The Book of Longings contains all the trappings of an instant classic – love, romance, adventure, history, strong characters, and impeccable writing. I hung on every word. I simply cannot say enough about this book.