baileydunn 's review for:

The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd

4.0

---

Definitely captivating! It's impossible not to respect and identify with Anna, the main character. Also compelling to see this historical and canonical story told through the eyes of Jesus's fictional wife. However, slightly too on the nose with feminist sentiments at times — I do love the sentiments, just wish they weren't quite so overt in the text. Additionally, I think that historical fiction tends to lend itself to somewhat of a sense of passivity. I often feel as if I'm witnessing the events through a veil rather than feeling present in the moments of the novel. This novel had a level of that passivity — almost comparable to being held at arm's length.