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jwicks's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Pregnancy
alexbooksandmore's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I really enjoyed this book. I think the story is captivating, and the writing is splendid (very few books are fascinating because of the writing for me).
This book goes back to the time of Jesus, but the story is not mainly about Him, but about his 'fictive' wife, Ana. We see the whole world through her eyes. I enjoyed the detailed explanation of how people lived back then and their daily activities.
As always, I am deeply affected by the horror things Jesus had to face. All the aggression. And even when I read it, i could see everything so clear in my head..
Another reason i love this book is the questions and discussion topics at the end of the book.. one of the most interesting was 'what would the world be if in the Bible, Jesus had a wife? Would have change the way women are perceived in the world? Or not? ... it kept me thinking and I think is a very interesting subject to discuss.
This book goes back to the time of Jesus, but the story is not mainly about Him, but about his 'fictive' wife, Ana. We see the whole world through her eyes. I enjoyed the detailed explanation of how people lived back then and their daily activities.
As always, I am deeply affected by the horror things Jesus had to face. All the aggression. And even when I read it, i could see everything so clear in my head..
Another reason i love this book is the questions and discussion topics at the end of the book.. one of the most interesting was 'what would the world be if in the Bible, Jesus had a wife? Would have change the way women are perceived in the world? Or not? ... it kept me thinking and I think is a very interesting subject to discuss.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, Religious bigotry, and Pregnancy
Minor: Suicide
carolynbruce's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Miscarriage
Minor: Rape
bethaniemae23's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I did thoroughly enjoy this book, learning about a whole different culture and how cruel it can be to women, or anyone that dares to be a little different. I loved Jesus and Ana relationship but don’t think I would have been as forgiving as Ana when he left. The place where people can go to live out a peaceful life sounded like pure bliss and I wish it was real.
Little thunder
Little thunder
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Misogyny, Rape, Suicide, Torture, and Murder
danicakvcs's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Miscarriage, Blood, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Slavery, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Minor: Rape, Suicide, and Torture
ckrampy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicide, Grief, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
cheryl1213's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Interesting. I'm not a religious person, but I knew a handful of names and stories. I enjoyed it as historical fiction. It made me curious about lives in the first century AD (esp the sect devoted to study and tyat allowed women, apparently based on historical evidence).
Ana is an inspiration, and her deepest longning resonated with me.
But I have no idea how this would feel to someone who is a devout (or, really, even loose) follower of a Judeo-Christian religion.
Ana is an inspiration, and her deepest longning resonated with me.
But I have no idea how this would feel to someone who is a devout (or, really, even loose) follower of a Judeo-Christian religion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Rape
lexistwick's review against another edition
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, and Injury/Injury detail
inked_in_pages's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
GENRE: Historical Fiction, Feminist Retelling
[Tw: sexual assault, forced marriage, graphic death of a loved one, in uterine fetal death]
Did you like the book?
This is the type of book that takes a lot of thought and a lot of stamina to get through. I liked it while reading but in the days since finishing it and after having more reflection about the content and the power of the story. I like it even more now.
Was there anything challenging about the book? Surprising?
Sue Monk Kidd has a way of writing that is both captivating and challenging at the same time. It was difficult at times to read a well-known (and widely debated) story from a different perspective and it challenged a lot of the beliefs that were instilled in me from a young age. Readers should be prepared to open their minds to new possibilities within well known stories.
What were your takeaways?
The strength, tenacity and bravery of the women in this story was absolutely the most important part. The humanity of Jesus, outside of his well known title of Messiah, is also a really important part of this story because it allows for the deeper humanity of the women in this story. This is not a story about Jesus or even Christianity, this is a story about the power of women and the influence we can have on historv.
Who would you recommend this to?
I think all women should read this honestly, but I know it's not for everyone. Anyone looking for an emotional story about the fierceness of the female experience. A perfect book for buddy reads and book clubs
[Tw: sexual assault, forced marriage, graphic death of a loved one, in uterine fetal death]
Did you like the book?
This is the type of book that takes a lot of thought and a lot of stamina to get through. I liked it while reading but in the days since finishing it and after having more reflection about the content and the power of the story. I like it even more now.
Was there anything challenging about the book? Surprising?
Sue Monk Kidd has a way of writing that is both captivating and challenging at the same time. It was difficult at times to read a well-known (and widely debated) story from a different perspective and it challenged a lot of the beliefs that were instilled in me from a young age. Readers should be prepared to open their minds to new possibilities within well known stories.
What were your takeaways?
The strength, tenacity and bravery of the women in this story was absolutely the most important part. The humanity of Jesus, outside of his well known title of Messiah, is also a really important part of this story because it allows for the deeper humanity of the women in this story. This is not a story about Jesus or even Christianity, this is a story about the power of women and the influence we can have on historv.
Who would you recommend this to?
I think all women should read this honestly, but I know it's not for everyone. Anyone looking for an emotional story about the fierceness of the female experience. A perfect book for buddy reads and book clubs
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Rape, Violence, and Religious bigotry
julissadantes's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book turned out to be completely different from what I had expected. It is truly the book of longings and the voice of Ana.
Ana, a young girl growing up in the Middle East and daughter of an important man, shares her ambitions and longings with the reader. Through her eyes, we witness the heart-wrenching things she had to endure. Just when she thought she had found salvation, I, as the reader, thought the story would shift to Jesus, but it didn't. The book continued to revolve around Ana's life.
Unfortunately, Ana found herself in the midst of political altercations and deceit and had to do her best to survive.
What surprised me was how the author made the book's events match the known events from Jesus' life but provided us with a different perspective. It is truly a remarkable piece of art.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape and Violence