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Loading... The book of longings (edition 2020)by Sue Monk Kidd (Author)
Work InformationThe Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd
   No current Talk conversations about this book.  Chrissylou62 | Apr 11, 2024 |   I really did enjoy the story. The narrative provides what seems to be a historically accurate representation of daily life during the era of Christ, both the beautiful and the horrific. It is hard to look objectively at this book as a work of fiction only and not to draw comparisons to scripture, since there are several pieces that align. I won’t get into the touchy discussion of “if Jesus had a wife, she would have done/been/said X, Y, and Z” because that’s just asking for trouble. I will instead encourage you to read it yourself and try to separate it from any prior knowledge or beliefs you may hold, in order to get the most enjoyment out of the story as just that—a story. (  ) jnoshields | Apr 10, 2024 | The story is narrated by Ana, future, present, and widowed wife of Jesus, son of Joseph of Nazareth. As with all good historical fiction, the story is plausible because embroidered into the details are the familiar events of the New Testament stories, but also because it offers a plausible scenario in which she would not have appeared in the writings of the Apostles. Because of that latter element, I did not have to suspend disbelief to become immersed in Ana’s story, which I sometimes struggle with in a lesser work of historical fiction. No spoilers here; just my general observations on the fine writing and compelling story. Ana certainly became a voice in my world in Sue Monk Kidd’s well-told tale. (  ) bschweiger | Feb 4, 2024 | And what a character she is – Ana, the daughter of a prominent Jewish household in Galilee, is determined that her voice will be heard and that the stories of the women in her world will be told. This independence of spirit inevitably leads to strife within the family, and sets her on the path that will lead her to marriage with a gentle laborer from Nazareth. Kidd attempts to paint Jesus as utterly human, and does a generally good job of it. There is very little Messianic spirit here, and no claim to divinity – just a bone-deep, ever-growing conviction that God has a specific journey in mind for him, and when it requires that he leave his family to prepare for and eventually preach, Ana is again left largely to her own devices among the company of women. How she survives, how she builds the life she must have within the culture and society of the era, forms the backbone of the book. There are moments in the novel when the Jesus-factor simply feels tacked on as a heck of a good promotional hook, and the most it really does is to give portions of the story an inevitable forward momentum. Kidd does a superb job here of re-creating the sights and sounds and smells of life in a land under Roman rule at the beginning of the Common Era, but frankly, she has written better books. (  ) LyndaInOregon | Jan 4, 2024 |  ) Suem330 | Dec 28, 2023 | no reviews | add a review
Fiction.
Literature.
Historical Fiction.
HTML:â??An extraordinary novel . . . a triumph of insight and storytelling.â?ť â??Associated Press â??A true masterpiece.â?ť â??Glennon Doyle, author of Untamed An extraordinary story set in the first century about a woman who finds her voice and her destiny, from the celebrated number one New York Times bestselling author of The Secret Life of Bees and The Invention of Wings 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 hei No library descriptions found. |
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 Google Books — Loading...GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.6Literature English (North America) American fiction 21st CenturyLC ClassificationRatingAverage: (3.99)
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Wikipedia in English
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The imagining of a wife for Jesus may seem a sacrilege to some, but the author is never sacrligious. It an interesting imagining of a possibility that I fell, should not be ruled out. (