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kathepaxton's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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? It's complicated
5.0
This book changed my life. I bought it when it first came out but realized very quickly I was not ready for it. Four years later, I’m grateful it found me again. Every woman I know needs to read this book. Sue Monk Kidd has outdone herself.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Xenophobia
elisegmusic's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
The Book of Longings imagines a world in which Jesus takes a wife, Ana, before starting his ministry. Ana is the daughter of a wealthy family, and she is taught to read and write, something uncommon for women in those days. She is entranced by stories and longs to have a voice for people to listen to. Instead, her parents engage her to a man twice her age. Ana falls in love with Jesus and, when her fiancé dies, she and Jesus get married, which lowers her station dramatically, but she gains a partner in life who believes in her dreams and encourages her.
If you are not familiar with the Bible, I think the political situation is a little confusing. I had to research what was going on in Palestine at that time - The Holy Roman Empire was controlling the land, and many Palestinians wished to be free, particularly for religious reasons, as they believed the land was promised to them by God, and they did not wish to be ruled by polytheists.
Ana was such a beautiful character, and she will feel familiar to most women - in a world where women are being silenced, Ana longs for an equal voice in society and on the page. All the ideas in her world belong to men, and Ana is well ahead of her time and wishes to change that. She is the hope to the oppressed.
Ana also has two powerful women by her side - Yaltha, her aunt, who teaches her everything she knows about spirituality, and Tabitha, her cousin whose tongue is cut out for speaking out against her rapist.
There is no condemnation of Jesus or religion in this book - instead, it’s a reimagining of the lives of all the women left out of the Bible. In her afterword, Sue Monk Kidd says, “It could be argued that in the first-century Jewish world of Galilee, marriage was so utterly normative, it more or less went without saying.” Much of Jesus’s early years are not written about, so it is certainly possible that he got married ten years before his ministry.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Rape, Sexual assault, and Murder
shando's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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? No
4.5
This was a well-paced story of women whose lives were, in various ways, connected to Jesus Christ as a historic being. The character development is most robust for the women in the story and the author allows historically relevant details to shine.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Miscarriage
Moderate: Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, and Sexual harassment
dizzyizzyy's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Animal death, Suicide, and Abortion
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
bookishpip's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Misogyny, and Sexual assault
laskuhn's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Briefly, this is a first-person narrative from the perspective of Ana, and it begins with her as a strong-minded 14 year old girl if early CE Palestine. She becomes the wife of Jesus of Nazareth. It is an imagined tale (according to the author) of what her life could have been like. I had to take breaks while reading it because parts of it were hard, emotionally. It was thought-provoking.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Miscarriage and Violence
Minor: Sexual assault
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
kareseburrows's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
"He pressed his forehead to mind and left it there. I think of it still, those moments, that leaning upon each other, the tent our lives made together."
Please note my review contains some spoilers.
Growing up in a strong catholic family, you're almost influenced to never think of or even imagine the possibility that Jesus could have had a wife. You're always told to think of Jesus from a spiritual aspect, to picture a "divine" being and not so much a "human" being, almost as if thinking of Jesus as human steals his connectedness to God and his divine purpose as the Messiah, which I don't think it does. Kidd says in writing Jesus's character, she was drawn to his humanity, which is an aspect of the book I really enjoyed, simply because in catholicism you become so familiar with Jesus's divinity, that seeing his humanness (or Kidd's interpretation of his humaneness) leaves this door open for thinking of him in a new light.
That said, while Jesus is an important protagonist, it's his wife Ana who takes centre stage throughout the book, with her boldness, fierceness, sharp tongue, strength and deep, heartfelt longings. She's a precious, strong gem in a political, cultural and historical time period where a woman's light is constantly diminished and their voices silenced. I think the most powerful longing Ana had was to be seen, loved and understood for who she was, and I think Jesus gave to that to her. While the book moved at a slow pace, the middle of it, the part where Ana and Jesus's marriage builds before they go their separate ways, has to be one of my favorite parts. Not only is there a sweet friendship between them, but something deep, secret and intimate forms there, and only they understand what that something is, both of them outcasts finding this solace with one another. I love that he calls her, "Little Thunder". I cried when, after going 2 years of not seeing him, the first image she has of him is while he's beaten and bloody, carrying his cross towards death.
That said, all around Ana stand these steadfast women, and they all feed off of, and lean into one another. Her Aunt Yaltha is like a beacon, guiding Ana the way her mother never did. I do love that despite not appreciating Tabitha in the beginning, friendship blossoms between them, especially when Ana stands up for Tabitha after she's sexually assaulted and her tongue is cut out for speaking out about her rape. The strong feminist underpinnings in the book are inspiring, and I have to comment on Kidd's writing, which I loved. There's a steady flow to the language that Kidd uses that I feel draws you into the story just as much as other aspects, like the storyline and the characters, and the history.
I think anyone who decides to read this book should read Kidd's "Author's Note" first, because it gives you a better understanding of the story that Kidd is telling. It's good to remember that this is book, with its historical and cultural points, is also that of fiction. It's a beautiful and emotionally gripping story that encompasses female strength, human love, divine love, the power of friendships, faith, purpose, loyalty, betrayal and longing. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed this, and it's become one of my favorite reads.
Please note my review contains some spoilers.
Growing up in a strong catholic family, you're almost influenced to never think of or even imagine the possibility that Jesus could have had a wife. You're always told to think of Jesus from a spiritual aspect, to picture a "divine" being and not so much a "human" being, almost as if thinking of Jesus as human steals his connectedness to God and his divine purpose as the Messiah, which I don't think it does. Kidd says in writing Jesus's character, she was drawn to his humanity, which is an aspect of the book I really enjoyed, simply because in catholicism you become so familiar with Jesus's divinity, that seeing his humanness (or Kidd's interpretation of his humaneness) leaves this door open for thinking of him in a new light.
That said, while Jesus is an important protagonist, it's his wife Ana who takes centre stage throughout the book, with her boldness, fierceness, sharp tongue, strength and deep, heartfelt longings. She's a precious, strong gem in a political, cultural and historical time period where a woman's light is constantly diminished and their voices silenced. I think the most powerful longing Ana had was to be seen, loved and understood for who she was, and I think Jesus gave to that to her. While the book moved at a slow pace, the middle of it, the part where Ana and Jesus's marriage builds before they go their separate ways, has to be one of my favorite parts. Not only is there a sweet friendship between them, but something deep, secret and intimate forms there, and only they understand what that something is, both of them outcasts finding this solace with one another. I love that he calls her, "Little Thunder". I cried when, after going 2 years of not seeing him, the first image she has of him is while he's beaten and bloody, carrying his cross towards death.
That said, all around Ana stand these steadfast women, and they all feed off of, and lean into one another. Her Aunt Yaltha is like a beacon, guiding Ana the way her mother never did. I do love that despite not appreciating Tabitha in the beginning, friendship blossoms between them, especially when Ana stands up for Tabitha after she's sexually assaulted and her tongue is cut out for speaking out about her rape. The strong feminist underpinnings in the book are inspiring, and I have to comment on Kidd's writing, which I loved. There's a steady flow to the language that Kidd uses that I feel draws you into the story just as much as other aspects, like the storyline and the characters, and the history.
I think anyone who decides to read this book should read Kidd's "Author's Note" first, because it gives you a better understanding of the story that Kidd is telling. It's good to remember that this is book, with its historical and cultural points, is also that of fiction. It's a beautiful and emotionally gripping story that encompasses female strength, human love, divine love, the power of friendships, faith, purpose, loyalty, betrayal and longing. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed this, and it's become one of my favorite reads.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Miscarriage
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Rape and Sexual assault