The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd
Ana is born in Galilee at a time when women are seen as possessions, only leaving their fathers’ homes to marry. Ana longs to control her destiny. Taught to read despite her mother’s misgivings, she wants to be a writer and to find her own voice. A voice that will speak for the silenced women around her.
Betrothed to an elderly widower, Ana almost despairs. But an encounter with a charismatic young carpenter in Nazareth awakens new longings in her, and a different future opens up.
Yet this is not a simple love story. Ana’s journey will bring both joy and tragedy, but it will also be enriched by the female friendships she makes along the way.
The Book of Longings is an exquisite tale of dreams and desire, and of the power of women to change the world.
About the author.
Sue Monk Kidd is the author of The Secret Life of Bees, one of the most beloved novels of the 21st century. It spent 2.5 years on the New York Times bestseller list, and has sold over 8 million copies worldwide. It was long-listed for the Orange Prize (now the Women’s Prize for Fiction) and made into a film starring Sophie Okonedo, Alicia Keys and Jennifer Hudson. Sue’s subsequent novels, The Mermaid Chair, The Invention of Wings and now The Book of Longings, were all New York Times bestsellers.
Sue is also the author of several non-fiction books including the New York Times bestseller Travelling with Pomegranates, co-written with her daughter Ann Kidd Taylor. Sue lives in Florida.
Review.
‘The Book of Longings’ is a beautifully told story of the women behind history. The missing narrative. The voices that need aired. The level of description and scene building makes you believe you could just walk into the page and be immersed in that world, it feels that real. The imagination that must be behind this book humbles me.
Ana is a young girl in a privileged household in Galilee. Her life is very restrictive but yet her father allowed her to learn to read and write and this became her passion. Her passion leads to her document the stories of women who have no voice, whether that be those from the Old Testament or her friends. She is betrothed to an ageing widower and despairs that her whole life is going to end. On the same day she meets a carpenter from Nazareth, one who might change the destiny of her life.
This is a beautifully told story of Ana’s life, her relationship with Jesus, but more importantly her relationships with the women in her life. How these women pushed her to her limits, how they inspire Ana to be better and do more, how to love, how to care and how to see that her longings need to be nurtured and that she is allowed to have a voice. It’s irrelevant really her story with Jesus, as this is her story. The way that ‘Hamnet’ gave a voice to Shakespeare’s wife, this does the same for Ana. Although, this is a completely fictional tale, what I liked was that it didn’t try to mess with the tale told in the Bible. But you could imagine this being true. The parts which I loved the most were when Ana was apart from Jesus and with her beloved aunt. I think it was here that Ana really matured into her character and embodies the spirit of this book.
This book should be hailed as one of the greats for historical fiction. The level of attention to detail is astounding. I honestly felt the heat on my back and the smells of the cooking fires. You can picture every scene vividly in your mind and it takes a huge talent as a writer to be able to do this. This is an easy 5⭐️ review from me.
