I fell in love with this book on the first page. There’s something about the way that Sue Monk Kidd writes that lulls and soothes you. Her writing flows in a lyrical, magical, poetic dance as she weaves a magical spell around the reader with a story created from a Biblical, historical, factual past, intertwined with imagined, fictional realities. Once she has captured you and lured you in, you will understand that the world she has conceived here is structured around the very nature and construct of so much that we hold dear to us today: love; God and his place in (or possibly on the periphery of) our lives; women and what they stand for; the secrets and stories that mothers, daughters, sisters and wives have kept close to their hearts, often forever unspoken, for centuries.

But ultimately, this is Ana’s story, Ana who we meet when she’s just 14 years old and living with her wealthy family in Sepphoris. Caring more about his standing in the community and how his family is perceived in the eyes of Antipas, the disliked ruler of Galilee, in whose court he holds a highly respected position, Ana’s father views her as a pawn to do with as he pleases to advance his standing with those who he seeks to find favour with. Her mother is not much better, treating her harshly, and making no secret of the fact that she is a burden to the family with her willful ways and enquiring mind. Things have become worse since her brother Judas has been banished by her father for openly speaking out against Antipas, and now her only friend and confidante in the house is her Aunt Yaltha, who is barely tolerated by her father.

We journey through the struggles that Ana has to endure living under her parents’ roof, and I founds these painful and sad to read about. Young girls had no voice whatsoever. They were literally ‘things’. Ana is five years old when she discovers that women are merely relegated to lower than second-rate citizens in the eyes of her religion, discovering that she cannot venture to pray in the same area as the men ‘on pain of death’! A dire threat indeed. She grows up battling to understand why this is so, and failing to understand why the God she is instructed to unfailingly believe in and pray to does not treat all of his creations fairly and equally. When she meets Jesus however, she instinctively and immediately knows that she has found a kindred spirit … her twin flame.

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that this book will find itself the target of controversy, and perhaps those who seek purely to point fingers and criticise should either stay away completely or read the author’s notes at the back of the book first before reading the book. These notes give a lot of explanation as to the background of the writing of the book, the author’s frame of mind and how it all came to fruition. It really wraps it all up rather well. Although the central focus of the book is definitely Ana and the discovery of her voice and how women can be represented in society and community, one cannot avoid the fact that this is also partly a story about Jesus and how he became … well … ‘Jesus’! But rather than being an in-depth Theological investigation into the religious doctrines of his life, it’s a look at him as a man, specifically as a family man. There are theories as to whether Jesus ever married, and I won’t go into the why’s and wherefores of these ideas having been discarded due to not ‘suiting’ the religious powers that be. It was so interesting and refreshing to see him described as Sue Monk Kidd has done here, and I hope that others will see it as such. His meeting and marrying Ana served to empower him to become who he was to be. I loved that depiction!

The Book of Longings is a 5-Star read, although I feel that pinning it down and assigning stars to it seems somewhat mundane. It deserves so, so much more than that. So while I’ve given it those 5 stars, I do in fact prefer to attach generous silver wings to it, and cast it aloft into the celestial realms so that it may burst into a million glittering sparks that will shine their radiance onto the world!

This appears to be a beautiful book and I was due to take part in the blog tour. Sadly the digital proof copy in missing certain letter combinations and it became more of a puzzle than an enjoyable book. I'm sharing a promotion post instead

Oh what an interesting read...
These days I feel I have been sucked down the rabbit role of crime fiction that when a book like The Book of Longings comes along, it takes me a time to steady myself and slowly immerse myself into a completely different world.
I think with a book like this, you have to take time to ponder don't you on how best you can make it shine.
And The Book of Longings deserves all the sunshine...
We meet Ana in this story...The imagined wife of Jesus. This in itself is strange and you must remember the authors work is fiction.
I felt I needed to remind myself of that a number of times.
Ana is a great character, she is ambitious, confident and quite a caring young woman. She notices what is around her. But for me, she felt like a beautiful bird whose wings have been clipped.
Women in this time didn't have a voice and were told what to do.
Marriages were arranged and daughters were married off after coming of age.
I enjoyed her relationship with her aunt Yaltha..
What a feisty lady with a complicated life and never sitting quietly.
Yaltha showed Ana what life could be like..
While we are aware of how the story of Jesus ends, it was nice to imagine how he might a met a woman like Ana...
Interesting to read what his earlier life might have been like.
You can't help notice that Ana's brothers name is Judas..
I did feel author Sue Monk Kidd was quite brave in taking on a story of Jesus having a wife.
Our Christian beliefs say he didn't but what a beautiful if imagined story to think about if he did.
Written so sublimely, her language is superb and I found myself stopping every so often to really absorb what I had read.
Quite a different read but so well worth your time.

THE BOOK OF LONGINGS; AN EVOCATIVE MODERN CLASSIC

I am not a religious person (and doubt I ever will be) but The Book of Longings is such an evocative recreation of many of the biblical stories that this novel completely captured my imagination. It has also stole my heart.

Written by Sue Monk Kidd, author of The Secret Life of Bees, and already a New York Times bestseller, this is a beautiful book that has women, female strength and friendship right at its core.

I definitely class The Book of Longings as a modern classic.

The Book of Longings has very recently been released in paperback (18th March 2021) and I urge you all to read it. It is the fictional and very rich story of Ana. I was totally immersed in Ana’s story which powerfully portrays a time when women are viewed only as the possessions of men. Yet against all the odds Ana strives for so much more, driven by her desperation to pursue and control her true and very own destiny.

The depiction of how women in this novel are treated at the hands of men – often men desperate for power and wealth – is raw, brutal and heart breaking. Yet Ana, loyal to her femininity and friends uses her writing skills, her talent for subterfuge and her courage to give a voice to those women around her that have brutally been forced into silence.

When the book opens Ana is aged 14 and trying to hide the start of her periods from her domineering mother. With the onset of her period, Ana is classed as a woman and can finally become a wife. Yet Ana has other dreams – she wants to become a writer and is desperate to find her authentic voice. However Ana’s secret is discovered and against her pleas, is betrothed to an elderly widower with a reputation for cruelty. It is only her beloved brother Judas that understands her need to escape this marriage, yet he is in hiding from Herod.

It is at this first meeting with her betrothed, at a market, that Ana also encounters a young peasant man with a ‘tiny fire‘ in his eyes and ‘no trace of disdain‘ for her wealth. This man, just a few years older than Ana is Jesus; and it is Jesus that awakens a new longing within her.

Don’t worry, it is not a spoiler, but against the odds, Ana and Jesus marry. Although not a simple love story and with their individual destinies calling, Ana and Jesus’s marriage is full of love, respect and equality. It is a love match that will bring both joy and tragedy to Ana’s life.

As well as being the wife of Jesus, Ana is also the beloved sister of Judas, a very infamous figure in the biblical stories we all know.

The Book of Longings is a rich reimagining of the biblical stories that dominate our history; it is a book that completely captivated me and is sure to stay with me for a very long time.

I feel so pleased and privileged to have been invited on the blog tour to help publicise the paperback release of this beautiful book. Thank you Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for the invite.

To follow the tour and also read the reviews from my fellow book bloggers, please see below.

The Book of Longings was published in paperback by Tinder Press on 18th March 2021.

This book intrigued me from the first line because, as the author writes in her authors note, it is always said that Jesus had no wife yet here is a character who begins and ends her story asserting her position as the wife of Jesus. From then on, Ana's life unfurled and showed the very human part behind the story of the Son of God.

The characters were just wonderful, they were flawed and complex and just so incredible. At the centre of it all was Ana, a strong and powerful female character who lived her truth and pursued her passion despite everything that was in her way. Plus, she was surrounded by some other kickass women until the end and I loved that. It was a story of "invisible" women framed around the story of Jesus and it was absolutely incredible. It was also interesting to see more about Judas who of course we all know as the man who betrayed Jesus, it just added another layer of complexity to the story especially because he was Ana's brother.

The story was one of hardship and passion and writing. It was filled with writing and a low of words that just filled Ana up and made her who she was at all times. I just loved following her along in her journey that took her to Alexandria and Jerusalem and Nazareth at various times, interacting with people from Jesus' life (of course) and adding them into her story and I just adored it so much. It was just an incredible read and I was swept up into it fully.

The writing was lyrical and absolutely stunning. Sue Monk Kidd really knows how to write a story and all the elements of it were just amazing. I loved how she wrote Ana's story and wove it into the well-known story of Jesus but also extending it beyond that so Ana was not just reduced to the fictitious wife of Jesus. She was very much her own person and that was something I respected so much.

I’ve only read a couple of books by the author and really enjoyed them so I had high hopes for this. The book appealed to me because it’s set during biblical times. I read a book recently set during the same era and thought it was great so I want to read other fiction set around the same time. I find something oddly appealing about the era. I’m not religious and I must admit I was a little put off when I realised she married Jesus. Thankfully, the author does a brilliant job of bringing the story and characters to life. The story of Jesus and his crucifixion is familiar one yet the author does a brilliant job of bringing it to life and making it a human story. I cried a lot reading this book.

The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd

A very enjoyable story about Ana, the imagined wife of Jesus. Ana is a great character, intelligent and strong, striving always for the right to be educated and to make her own choices. In a time when woman were treated as little more than property, The Book of Longings is a book about the value of women’s friendship and support. It was a delight to follow Ana’s journey before, during and after her time with Jesus.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tinder Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The Book of Longings is a beautifully written book with the fictional character of Ana firmly at its heart. Ana is a spirited and very intelligent young women, a girl really when we first meet her, and she wants so much more than the life she seems fated to live, married by arrangement to an older man she has no interest in. Ana is full of longings. Longings to be able to control her own destiny, longings to be able to write down her thoughts, longings to be loved and treasured, longings to be heard. As a woman, these seem like impossibilities. Until she meets a carpenter called Jesus who changes her world.

Although I did enjoy reading about Ana’s relationships with her family as a young girl and the way she escaped her fate, it was after she met Jesus that I really became engaged with the story. The author cleverly blends Ana’s story with the familiar story of Jesus and his disciples. If you know the story about Jesus saying ‘whoever is without sin can cast the first stone’ there will be a moment of recognition where the two accounts entwine. I enjoyed reading about Jesus’s decision to follow in the footsteps of John the Baptist and the impact that had on his family. It seemed that I was reading this at a particularly appropriate time of year, in the run up the Easter when many of the significant events in the book take place.

Biblical stories and history from that era, as is common with much of history, really focus on the experiences of men so it was great to read a book from a woman’s perspective. Through Ana, we find out not just about her but about what life may have been like for women in all levels of society. There was huge inequality and women had to shoulder so much of the work of running a house. Expectations that women would marry and produce children, produce sons, was high and they rarely had a say in any of the major or minor decisions which impacted their lives.

Throughout her life, Ana faces much sadness and many challenges but also many joys. It is her courage and strength which sustains her through the dark periods but she also experiences so much support from her female friends. She too, is a great support to many of the other women in the book, warning them of danger, looking after them when in need. Although there is no evidence that Jesus did marry, there are many people who think that he almost certainly would have – it would have been expected. If he did, I like to think that the relationship portrayed between him and Ana is largely accurate. A marriage where there was a meeting of minds, a marriage based on respect, a marriage where both partners support the other, a marriage full of love.

Whether you are a Christian or not, whether you are familiar with the Biblical stories or not, this book can be enjoyed as an excellent piece of historical fiction. It sheds new light on the role of women in a bygone era, brings familiar and new characters vividly to life and gives voice to women. Something that Ana would have been pleased to know.

[Added note - there were formatting issues, as others have mentioned, which made this copy a bit challenging to read.]

This book was a bit of a slow burning but once it got going wow! As I read this book there were many things happening in the world, or rather not happening due to the Corona Virus. Perhaps the saddest is thing is the reflection that a story set over 2000 years ago that tells of racism, female oppression, abuse and control hasn't stopped.
Now back to the story, this is a fictional story of Ana, the wife of Jesus. It follows Ana from her teenage years when she is betrothed to a widower. As a forthright teenager she makes her feelings about this well known but as a female child she knows that there is an expectation placed on her and there isn't much she can do about it. Not wanting to give too much away this widower is NOT Jesus. This was the area of slow burn for me. Fast forward to when she is married to Jesus there are some tribals and tribulations that they face as a married couple before Jesus embarks on his preachings and teachings and she is left behind.
Ana is a likeable protagonist and tells a different side to a story that many of us have some understanding of. A good read.

If Jesus had a wife, who would she be? If she had been included in Scripture, how differently would women have been viewed and regarded throughout history?

This a powerful and courageous new book by Sue Monk Kidd that starts with the first line “I am Ana. I was the wife of Jesus.” WELL that first line had me HOOKED. Historical Fiction like you’ve never read it before.

Sue Monk Kidd fictionalises our protagonist Ana, coming from a wealthy family in Sepphoris, she is headstrong, defying and daring. When she meets 18 year old Jesus and becomes his wife, the story really begins. Although Ana is the wife of Jesus, she is a strong voice in her own right. Ana is nicknamed by Jesus as “Little Thunder” and constantly defies orders, laws and conventions. Ana is also the sister of Judas, and well, if you know anything about the bibical story you’ll be able to guess early on the connection and how it will turn out.

The backdrop of the novel is of course the story of Jesus and his becoming the Messiah. But importantly, Jesus is portrayed as man, not the Divine or son of God and even more importantly as a reader you must understand the book is written from a fictional perspective not a religious or scriptural one. Despite this, the historical research that has gone into this novel is evident and the stories and characters felt as though they could have been real and true. Much was based on true facts and events, such as the poem used “The Thunder: Perfect Mind” which was found in Nag Hammadi in the 1940s and is believed to have been written by a female in Egypt. Monk Kidd uses this as a basis on which to create Ana. The Therapeutae, where Ana and some of the other characters end up in the book was also a real place, which I was surprised to learn. The authors note at the end is important to read as she acknowledges where truth meets fiction and how things were adapted to fit the narrative, which I think is respectful given the nature of the book.

The prose is careful, creative and beautiful. The characterisation is strong and the plot, although in many ways predictable if you’re familiar with the bible was still full of surprises and action. This is a book that entices many emotions and I am so glad to have read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review

im not a historian, nor am i a theologian; but neither are necessary to feel so deeply astonished by this story.

before reading, the book synopsis had intrigued me

My thanks to Sue Monk Kidd, Tinder Press and Net Galley for the ARC of THE BOOK OF LONGINGS.
This was a brave story to write. To take the story of Jesus as we know it from The Bible and from teachings, to rotate the microscope so it peered into the life of the women who surrounded him was fascinating. Their lives were totally dominated by men. Some were virtual prisoners, viewed as unclean when menstruating and after giving birth. Men ruled and women the servants. Ana decided to break the rules. I championed her from the beginning when her unpleasant parents decided to sell her to a much older man, a widower with children her own age, until he succumbs to a fever. Ana writes the stories of women, of Tabitha who was raped but then had her tongue cut out by her father because she made it public, and in his eyes, shamed him. Of Galtha who had been accused of a murder she did not commit, parted from her two year old daughter and sent to a sect living on the edge of society. And of herself who was accused of sleeping with her elderly betrothed and threatened with being stoned to death. All of this wakes longings inside her to put the record straight, which she does so with her writings. The story of Jesus and how he rose to become the Messiah is almost a sub-plot, but it is handled very well. As much as this is a fictional account, there is much to learn here.

I have decided to leave a neutral rating for this book but I was actually unable to finish reading it. I managed to make it about a quarter of the way through before having to give up due to frustration with the sheer number of typing errors in this copy of the book. I completely understand that this is an uncorrected proof copy but for me there were a minimum of 1 and sometimes 3 or even 4 typing errors per page and it really took away from my ability to enjoy the story and even understand it at times. From what I could gather the story does seem very good and like something that I would enjoy and so for now I will leave 3 stars and maybe I will buy a copy when it is released.

What a fabulously feminist book, telling the story of a women and women's friendships in the first century AD. I am certainly not well-versed with the Bible, but the historical representation was fascinating. Best of all, there is actually very little of Jesus himself, with the book following the life of Ana, the woman who became his wife, but, oh, she was so much more!

The story moves back and forth from Israel and Egypt, with a rich cast of characters. There were a few coincidences, but it was easy to gloss over them because I enjoyed Sue Monk Kidd's storytelling so much.

(Review copy from NetGalley)

Sue Monk Kidd is an excellent writer and can turn to hand to any style and genre. I loved this but it too a lot longer to become immersed in the take than it ordinarily would when it comes to her works, predominantly because of the language and style of writing which was loyal to the time period in which the tale was set. Ana is a young woman, growing up under Roman rule in Galilee. She is wealthy, living a life of privilege, somewhat spoiled by her father. Women weren't educated at the time but she yearned to be and so her father arranged lessons. She must follow the customs of the time however and once she become of age she becomes betrothed to a widower, much older than she, a far from desirable match. It is upon their first encounter what she meets Jesus for the first time in the marketplace. She does not forget him for an instant, and the story progresses from there. This is a very brave undertaking on the part of Sun Monk Kidd but she pulled it off to perfection. I really enjoyed this story and would highly recommend it.

The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd tells the imaginary story of Ana, the wife of Jesus. As someone who is not religious I was somewhat wary of this book , I was not sure that it would be something I would enjoy, but several friends whose opinions I trust suggested that I give it a try, and I am so glad that I did.
This is a powerful tale with a wonderful central character in Ana. We first meet her as a young girl of fourteen, She is the daughter of a wealth family with ties to the ruler of Galilee, and unlike most young girls her age she has learned to read and write and dreams of something more than being a wife and mother. When her father arranges her betrothal to a much older widower in exchange for more power and prestige at court, Ana is horrified and furious. A chance encounter with a kindly young carpenter in the marketplace is enough to change the course of her life, and soon she finds herself travelling back to his family home as his new wife. The love and devotion between Jesus and Ana is beautifully described and seeing their budding relationship, with the knowledge of what is to come, makes for a bittersweet experience. The real strength of the book however is Ana herself, she is a wonderful character and it is impossible not to be swept up in her struggles and dreams.
I read and reviewed a review copy courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

“I am Ana. I was the wife of Jesus.”

At the very heart of this imagined tale is Ana, an ambitious and courageous young woman. In a time when women are seen as nothing more than possessions, Ana wants so much more: a voice.

Ana has been raised in a wealthy family, her father indulges her love of reading and writing, but she has a very strained relationship with her mother. At 14 years of age Ana is suddenly told she must marry a much older, widowed man in order to further her father’s career and position in society. Ana can think of nothing worse. A chance encounter with a carpenter at a market changes the course of her life forever.

In Jesus, Ana finds a kindred spirit, a partner, a kind man who allows her to be herself, who understands the “thunder” inside her because he himself feels it too, his own destiny.
The devotion between Ana and Jesus is in abundance but this is not only a story of love, this is a story of longing, a story of one woman’s courage to choose her own destiny and be the person she wants to be.

This book is so beautifully written. I adored the character of Ana, she felt so real to me. I was there with her every step of the way, rooting for her. The Book of Longings is the first book I have read by Sue Monk Kidd, but it certainly won’t be the last.

My Rating: 5/5

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read a copy of this book.

Raised in a wealthy family in Sepphoris with ties to the ruler of Galilee, Ana is rebellious and ambitious, a relentless seeker with a brilliant, curious mind and a daring spirit. She yearns for a pursuit worthy of her life but finds no outlet for her considerable talents. Defying the expectations placed on women, she engages in furtive scholarly pursuits and writes secret narratives about neglected and silenced women. When she meets the eighteen-year-old Jesus, each is drawn to and enriched by the other’s spiritual and philosophical ideas. He becomes a floodgate for her intellect, but also the awakener of her heart.

I am not well versed in the Bible, so I didn’t think the story was for me. I was resistant in the beginning for the above reasons yet found myself becoming attached to Ana. She is vibrant, educated, bold, and fascinating. This was a very slow read for me, I kept with it and overall did enjoy it. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd is a beautiful, raw, and imaginative fictitious account about the wife of Jesus. Kidd does a flawless job of weaving in true pieces of Jesus's history into this story, making it almost impossible to believe that Ana wasn't there for it all. Their love and devotion to each other is just one of the many reasons to fall in love with this book but it's Ana's passion for writing, her drive to do what her heart yearns for that truly inspires.

In a time where women were unbelievably oppressed, Ana always finds a way to write the stories of the strong women she encounters in her life. She records the stories that no one else will write, the stories that need to be told but no one is bold enough to lay ink to paper, except Ana. I loved her fearlessness and cunning, her devotion to those she loved most.

The Book of Longings is a love letter to all the girls, all the women who may feel oppressed still, like their voices don't matter but they do. It's our voices that need to be heard. Our hearts that need to be acknowledged. This book put me in awe of the beauty of writing and the beauty of women and I hope everyone who reads this will take their time and bask in the mastery of this unforgettable story.

What a story of people forgotten or rather erased from the collective society's mind. I especially liked the part of brave women who are so ahead of their time and in thinking.