S
Sue Monk Kidd
Sue Monk Kidd is the author of the bestselling novel The Secret Life of Bees. Her books often explore themes of spiritual growth and female empowerment.
The Book of Longings
Synopsis
The Book of Longings imagines the life of Ana, a well-born, fiercely intelligent young woman in first-century Galilee who secretly writes narratives of forgotten and silenced women rather than accept the marriage her family has arranged for her. An encounter with Jesus changes her path entirely, and their marriage — full of love, conflict, and shared conviction — unfolds in Nazareth amid growing unrest against Roman rule, led in part by Ana's own brother, Judas.
Sue Monk Kidd grounds the novel in careful historical research while foregrounding Jesus's humanity, following Ana from Nazareth to Alexandria as she risks everything to claim a voice and a legacy of her own.
Genres
Characters
AnaProtagonist
A rebellious, scholarly young woman who marries Jesus and secretly writes the stories of silenced women.
JesusSupporting
Ana's husband, portrayed here primarily in his humanity.
JudasSupporting
Ana's brother, involved in resistance against Roman occupation.
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