I was giddy with anticipation about The Book of Longings from the moment its publication date was announced, and I’m thrilled to report that author Sue Monk Kidd did not disappoint with her newest historical fiction novel.
It’s long been debated whether Jesus (yep, as in “Christ Superstar”) had a female partner (hello, The Da Vinci Code), and Kidd’s novel takes this controversial idea and runs with it, creating Ana, the spirited, devoted, and forgotten wife of Jesus. This exquisite story takes you to Sepphoris, Nazareth, Jerusalem, and even Egypt, bringing ancient times vividly to life. Monk’s dedication to historical research is impressive, and her attention to detail is enchanting, particularly in the chapters set in Egypt.
While The Book of Longings admittedly started off a little slow for me, Ana’s compelling story soon picked up speed, and before I knew it, I was sucked into her bittersweet life, marriage, and world.
The love story between Ana and Jesus is sweet and realistic, touching and adorable, though unbearably heartbreaking at many points in the novel. I mean, even if you’re not Christian, you know that Jesus’ relatively short life met a particularly gruesome end. It’s kind of like watching Titanic — you’re really, really rooting for the dopey-in-love couple to get a happy ending, but you know it’s doomed from the start.
Before that, though, Ana’s marriage to and life with Jesus is captivating. Monk expertly inserts her into familiar New Testament parables — helping the lame, overturning the tables in the temple, stopping the stoning of a woman — while also giving plausible explanations for why Ana would have been written out of history.
Most importantly, Ana’s story doesn’t end with Jesus’ life, nor does it begin with it. Ana is a fully developed character who’s much more than just the wife, lover, and partner of Jesus. She’s a brave, strong, smart, and driven woman in her own right. While a large portion of the book intertwines her life with her husband’s, much of it is also devoted to her passion — writing — and her own set of family and friends, with whom she experiences adventures with and without Jesus.
I really liked that Jesus in The Book of Longings is fully human, an aspect of the story which, as mentioned in the Author’s Note, was important for Kidd to convey. This is not a religious story, even though it deals with a religious figure. Monk’s Jesus is a devout Jewish man with human needs, desires, and conflictions, and his life with Ana and his family (did you know Jesus had brothers?!?!) is strikingly un-grand.
I’ve read a lot of retellings, and The Book of Longings is one of the best. Make sure you don’t miss it! What are some of your favorite retellings?
And, stay tuned for my book-inspired recipe: Chickpea Burgers with Mint Tahini Carrot Slaw.
