The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd - 5 stars and a heart.

[Barbara M]

What if Jesus had a wife? The first line in this novel tells us that this is the case in this novel. "I am Ana. I was the wife of Jesus ben Joseph of Nazareth."

Ana will narrate this story from the time she is 14 years old. I have thoroughly enjoyed Kidd's novels; she's a wonderful writer, but as a Catholic Christian, I wasn't certain about reading this. Not to worry, by the end, I loved Jesus more seen through the eyes of Ana. Kidd follows the story of Jesus with slight changes, but Ana doesn't change his life; she just gives us beautiful insight into the human Jesus living as a Jew in the area of Nazareth and Jerusalem, etc. Although Jesus is a central character in the book, this is Ana's story.

We are introduced to Ana, her parents, her brother, and her aunt. Her parents are wealthy; her father is a scribe to Herod Antipas, who, although he is a Jew, does not follow the faith very closely, and he is a tool of the Romans. Ana's brother is Judas (yes, that Judas), and he is her mother's son, her half-brother, who is a rebel causing her father great anxiety. Ana doesn't help, she has been allowed to learn the work of the scribe, which makes her mother unhappy because, of course, her destiny is to become the wife of a well-placed Jewish man of influence. Her aunt, Yaltha, is more of a mother to her; she is the sister of Ana's father and is quite renegade. Ana's mother doesn't l;like her and tries to get between them. Yaltha is a wonderful character and a huge part of the story. Ana loves her and is also quite rebellious of her mother's wishes.

As the story proceeds, you wonder how in the world she could possibly become the wife of Jesus. She first sees Jesus in the market in a very domestic and kind-hearted situation. My heart swelled at seeing this very human and kind person whose story we know so well. Kidd handles his story so beautifully, especially his piety, his relationship with God, and his confusion over what he is feeling. Jesus, in his humanity, isn't sure what God is asking of him. We never hear the voice of God calling Jesus in this story. Ana has a touch of the miraculous in that she periodically has vision dreams. They aren't clear, providing only a clue that leaves her wondering, as Jesus does for his role. Ana and Jesus are often separated when he tries to find work to support his family as the eldest. In this story, as in some parts of the bible, he has brothers and sisters. The couple is also often separated by circumstance, many times because of the anger of Herod Antipas. During their separations, each is trying to find their voice.

I don't want to give away too much, even though much of this story we know. Some may hesitate, feeling that the idea of this story is sacrilegious, but I felt the opposite. Perhaps because I've studied and love history, I always enjoy trying to place Jesus in his historical period. I've read non-fiction on the subject, but this fiction fit the bill because of Kidd's research. The end of the book is an Author's note that is very informative and interesting. It is also followed by an interview with Kidd.

I highly recommend this book. It will be one of my forever favorites.

[Amy]

I Just read and Loved this!!!