I received a Netgalley digital advanced reader copy of this book. I had read other books by Sue Monk Kidd, so I was excited to be approved for this one. Unfortunately, I was really disappointed.

The premise was good. What would a wife of Jesus be like? How would this come about? I am not a great Bible scholar, so I don't know if the book was historically accurate. I do know that I didn't care about the characters and had to force myself to read it. Finally, I decided to move on to another book.

Every author is allowed to have a dud book from time to time. I guess this is the one for Sue.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a digital advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review. I find it really difficult to review this book. It certainly is not up to par with The Invention of Wings. I'd give it 3.5 stars. I enjoyed Ana's story, her spiritual journal and the way that she found her voice. I found myself caught up in the plot. However, the writing seemed lacking to me, perhaps somewhat simplistic. She was brave in taking on a controversial topic, Jesus' romantic life. Although I am not currently religious, I found it really difficult in the first part of the book to put aside the notion of Jesus that comes from my upbringing and from society in general.

WOW. I cannot say enough about this title. It was not only meticulously researched, but such a beautiful story of becoming in a time where it was not welcomed. I personally want an incantation bowl. Ana is who I want to be when I "grow up." Someone brave and brilliant and tender and loving. It is a must-read.

I was really looking forward to reading The Book of Longings. And it didn't disappoint, I wish I could give it 3.5 stars instead of 3. Somewhere between a "like" and a "really like". I do think the book will be very popular and I think it is a great pick for a book club. Lots to discuss! I enjoyed how Jesus and his family were portrayed. But at times the book moved a little slowly for me. It's not exactly my style novel so maybe I just had a harder time getting into it.

Amazing story, well-written and researched. Makes you think and imagine, what if. The author treated the subject of Jesus and his crucifixion with delicacy and respect for history.

“I am Ana. I was the wife of Jesus of Nazareth. I am a voice.”

The Book of Longings focuses on Ana, a smart, rebellious, driven girl, a writer who wants to be a voice. Sue Monk Kidd is always excellent as showing history in day to day life, we see Ana’s struggles, her triumphs, her longings. While its generally believe that Jesus wasn’t married, it was considered a male’s duty to be married at the time- why would he not have been? This book imagines that Ana meets and marries Jesus when he is in his twenties, a time period that isn’t recorded in history.

I really enjoyed this book- Ana is easy to like and relate to, Jesus is a bit of a selfish ass at times, but also giving and caring, and trying his best to do what he feels is right. He is portrayed as completely human, and while we do see his parts of his life and his death, he is no way the focus of this book. We watch Ana grow, travel, and become sure of herself. We see her struggle with being left behind, to be angry at her husband, to question God.

This wasn’t my favorite Sue Monk Kidd novel (The Invention of Wings!!!) but I loved reading about a woman who wanted to be heard and remembered, and ironically, was completely erased from history. Was Jesus married? We’ll probably never know, but if he was, I imagine it’s someone just like Ana.

It’s the story we all know, but from a new angle, with all the familiar characters brought to vivid life. Monk has a way of bleeding fact which is we=ll research and her own fiction. Loved this book, though probably will be controversial.

This is character driven and not for the faint hearted Christian. But if you're down with imagining non gospel plotlines, I really really enjoyed it. Although I do wish the ending had been slightly different, I otherwise think the setting and feminist overtones are excellent.

This is the story of Ana, the wife of Jesus. This is a beautifully written novel about what if Jesus was married and what if his wife was a strong, beautiful , intelligent woman. In a time when women were basically nothing, Sue Monk Kidd weaves a fascinating tale about an interesting woman who loves to write and has a story to tell. Stories from the Bible are interwoven through the book and told from Ana's perspective. This book will be a great book club read.

This book started very slow for me. I thought the format of the book also added to this process and made it a tad more difficult to read. I praise the author for an original idea. The book was definitely character-driven.

A nuanced, sensitive, and reverent exploration of one of the great WHAT IFs of history. I loved this and discussed it in a special episode of What Should I Read Next.

The Book of Longings is about Ana, the wife of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  Honestly, I was disappointed.  I have enjoyed previous books by Sue Monk Kidd.  This book was a great change from her normal style of writing.  Though well researched, it was not appealing to me.

And if you can believe that Jesus was married, then there are some shocking details about his wife, Ana.  I won't elaborate so I don't spoil the shock value should you choose to read this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I initially approached this book with some reservations. A story about the wife of Jesus? Oh no, The Robe meets The Da Vinci Code. But after reading the author’s note, which is placed at the back of the book, (but I chose to read before embarking on the story), I changed my mind. In this section she explained how she came to, choose this topic, how she researched it, and how she grew to embrace the concept. I suggest readers do as I did, and start with this section.
The story begins like Moby Dick with a simple declaration, “ I am Ana” Her next sentence will thrust you immediately into the narrative: “ I was the wife of Jesus ben Joseph of Nazareth. I called him Beloved and he, laughing, called me Little Thunder.” But lest you think this is going to be a treacly romance, she then tells us,” All my life, longings lived inside me, rising up like nocturnes to wail and sing through the night.“ This in fact is the story of a very modern woman seeking her destiny in the patriarchy into which she was born.
Being a Biblical scholar isn’t a prerequisite to enjoying her story but when you learn that her half brother follows the radical group of revolutionaries called the Zealots and then you learn his name is Judas, knowing the life of Jesus as told in the New Testament gives you an added dimension to your reading enjoyment.
Jesus does not appear early in the narrative. The author gives us plenty of time to understand the world of Ana, politically and culturally. Ana is a rebellious teenager when society will not tolerate young women with minds of their own. Her first meeting with Jesus is accidental but it also fits with what we expect of such a man, kind and a champion of the underdog.
Lest you think a story of a marriage between the leader of Christianity and a headstrong young woman sounds like a Lifetime movie, let me assure you, both characters are presented as complex individuals who support their partner in a loving and respectful way.
The focus of the narrative, however, is on Ana, her struggles, her accomplishments and disappointments. Much of her marriage is spent apart from her husband as he follows his destiny to that fateful Passover week. You will have many questions but they will be answered with a dramatic but reasonable explanation. And believe me, when I tell you I was shaken by the events of Easter Saturday as if the story was new to me.
Sue Monk Kidd took a chance writing this story, but she handled it with such grace I think you will grow to love Ana for who she is, whether she is the wife of Jesus or not.

I am a huge Sue Monk Kidd fan. The Secret Life of Bees is one of my favorite books of all time. And I generally enjoy books that explore "what if" scenarios of well known historical figures - The Red Tent is also one of my favorite books. But this book was difficult for me to love. The beginning started kind of slow. Although I did enjoy the feminist Ana, with her many strengths not custom to women of the time period, her character seemed too perfect and that made her unbelievable and made it difficult for me to completely engage with the book. I rarely re-read books, but I am going to come back to this one and read it again in a few months. Perhaps my current judgement is simply that I'm not in the mood for this story. I hope next time I read it, I will develop a deeper connection or love for the book. I didn't dislike the book by any means, and I absolutely would encourage anyone who loves Sue Monk Kidd or who enjoys these kinds of stories to read this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Viking and Sue Monk Kidd for the ARC of the Book of Longings in exchange for my honest review.

The books I remember the most are the ones that convince me to think of something established in a different way—they enrich my thoughts and open my mind. This was one of those books. Someone told me recently that though the focus is always on the disciples, it was women who were closest to Jesus. I’m so glad this book exists to convey that closeness and love.

"The Book of Longings" re-imagines the story of Jesus by de-centering him from the narrative: front and center is Ana, a bold Jewish writer with aspirations for change, caught up in political and familial drama that threaten her life. Jesus becomes her kind, devoted husband, but even he can't follow her where she is going. Emboldened by a keen sense of justice and very anachronistic feminism, Ana transcribes the horrors she witnesses against women, joins a commune, becomes a librarian, and rescues her fellow friends caught up in the patriarchy.

I was fully invested in the story for the first half of the book. Unfortunately, Ana began to feel less and less like a real person and more like a feminist caricature. Her speech felt too modern, and her relationship with Jesus a bit too perfect. The pacing also lagged in the middle with many detours in Ana's journey.

I did enjoy Sue Monk Kidd's imagination with the Biblical narrative: she had a clever take on Judas' betrayal and on Jesus' eventual crucifixion. The writing was strong, and as far as I could tell, historically accurate in its details. The author's note at the end was particularly helpful in understanding why the author felt compelled to write the book, and provided fascinating insight on the real Ana and her poem discovered in 1945.

Let me start with the obvious. No school where I live, in the Bible Belt, would ever get away with teaching this novel. I love the story Ana, Judas, and the Aunt. I loved how it relates to biblical history with Herod Antipas and even the character of Jesus. But no one would believe/accept this story line about Christ. The idea that he doesn't KNOW he's the son of God isn't Biblical. Even at age 12, Jesus of the Bible knew he had to be about his "father's business." As an adult, I can separate the two works, but I don't see high school students doing it. And the idea that God is a woman, Sophia, would be considered blasphemous. I think this had the ability to be an amazing story, but someone had to push doctrine instead.

I was skeptical of this book and its subject matter during the first part and almost put it aside. I am glad I didn't. The Book of Longings, by Sue Monk Kidd, is a book depicting the time of Jesus, often concentrating on the hardships of women. Ana, the wife of Jesus, is the strong female character, who had a voice when many other women didn't. This is really her story.

I was very curious about this story and if it would hold my interest. - It did. It is the story of Ana the wife of Jesus, a strong woman who was a feminist for her time. Good story and well written.

I really enjoyed this book. I really liked Ana and how she fought to share her voice. This book has beautiful storytelling. Sue Monk Kidd is a wonderful author.