Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - The Book of Longings

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.

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bookishpip's review

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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

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laskuhn's review

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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.

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ckrampy's review

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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

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kareseburrows's review

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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.

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