It is a triumph of storytelling both timely and timeless, from a masterful writer at the height of her powers. 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. Ana determines her fate during a stunning convergence of events considered among the most impactful in human history. 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. She is sustained by her fearless aunt Yaltha, who harbors a compelling secret. Ana’s pent-up longings intensify amid the turbulent resistance to Rome’s occupation of Israel, partially led by her brother, Judas. 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. An encounter with eighteen-year-old Jesus changes everything. Ana is expected to marry an older widower, a prospect that horrifies her. She engages in furtive scholarly pursuits and writes narratives about neglected and silenced women.

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. 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. This story is so well-researched and you can tell she put much thought and care in every word that she wrote. This was actually my first novel I’ve read from Sue Monk Kidd but definitely won’t be my last! I really loved her writing.

The book longings