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.
