Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd

18 reviews

kmae314's review

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful 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? No

5.0

Beautiful!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Misogyny, Death, Violence, Physical abuse, Rape, and Sexism

Moderate: Suicide, Xenophobia, Torture, and Self harm

lazmataz's review

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Adult/minor relationship, Antisemitism, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Death, Blood, Xenophobia, Slavery, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Misogyny, Violence, and Miscarriage

Moderate: Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence

Minor: Abortion, Suicide, and Animal death

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. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, and Child death

Moderate: Religious bigotry, Violence, Rape, Slavery, Sexual assault, Sexism, and Pregnancy

Minor: Suicide

kichizibi's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture

Moderate: Child death, Death, Slavery, and Misogyny

Minor: Suicide and Death of parent

bethaniemae23's review

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 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Misogyny, Torture, Rape, Child death, and Suicide

danicakvcs's review

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Grief, Murder, Death, Miscarriage, and Child death

Moderate: Slavery, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

Minor: Torture, Rape, and Suicide

ckrampy's review

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Rape, Grief, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Death, Physical abuse, and Sexism

random19379's review

adventurous emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Sexual violence, Death, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Torture, Suicide, Grief, Rape, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Antisemitism, and Religious bigotry

maddiebusick's review against another edition

challenging 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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Grief, Miscarriage, Torture, Murder, Sexism, Rape, Blood, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, and Violence

Moderate: Cursing, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Classism, Confinement, Death of parent, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Medical content, Misogyny, and Suicide

Minor: Alcohol, Deportation, Police brutality, and Slavery

kelly_e's review against another edition

inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Title: The Book of Longings
Author: Sue Monk Kidd
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 3.0
Pub Date: March 23 2021

T H R E E • W O R D S

Tender • Imaginative • Historic

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Set in the first century, Ana is a gifted young woman secretly writing stories in a male dominated society. She comes from a wealthy family, and is expected to marry a rich, older widower, but an encounter with 18-year-old Jesus will change everything.

The Book of Longings is the story of their marriage and one women's determination to realize her passion and potential.

💭 T H O U G H T S

I was super excited to read The Book of Longings because I had loved Sue Monk Kidd's previous works. When I originally bought this book, I hadn't read the premise, and when I finally did I was hesitant to jump in. On the urging from several book friends to give it a chance, I did just that and here are my thoughts.

It is flawlessly and beautifully written with each sentence flowing into the next.
It is well researched and presented. The author even mentions where she erred on dates in the name of creative freedom to help with flow.
It is imaginative, the plot is definitely unlike any historical fiction I've read before.
It is an ode to fierce females with Ana being one of the most courageous characters in recent memory, especially in a male dominated society.

But...

It was just not for me. I couldn't remove the religious aspect from my experience, and all the biblical detail and reference were hard for me to focus on.

Don't let that deter you. This is hands down one of those cases where it was me and definitely not the book.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• bookclubs
• readers who love a fierce female lead

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"When you're in love, you remember everything." 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Miscarriage, and Sexism

Moderate: Violence, Grief, Misogyny, Rape, and Sexual assault

Minor: Suicide, Blood, and Domestic abuse

death of partner