Sue Monk Kidd takes an audacious approach to history and imagines the story of a young woman named Ana. Raised in a wealthy family with ties to the ruler of Galilee, she is rebellious and ambitious, with a brilliant mind and a daring spirit. She engages in furtive scholarly pursuits and writes narratives about neglected and silenced women. Ana is expected to marry an older widower, a prospect that horrifies her. An encounter with eighteen-year-old Jesus changes everything.Three of Sue Monk Kidd's books are among my ten/ten books that I couldn't put down ~ The Secret Life of Bees and The Dance of the Dissident Daughter and The Invention of Wings. One became a group book discussion on Book Buddies ~ Traveling with Pomegranates: A Mother-Daughter Story.
Their marriage evolves with love and conflict, humor and pathos in Nazareth, where Ana makes a home with Jesus, his brothers, and their mother, Mary. Ana's pent-up longings intensify amid the very turbulent resistance to the Roman occupation of Israel, partially led by her brother, Judas. She is sustained by her fearless aunt Yaltha, who harbors a compelling secret. When Ana commits a brazen act that puts her in peril, she flees to Alexandria, where startling revelations and greater dangers unfold, and she finds refuge in unexpected surroundings. This inspiring account shows one woman's struggle to realize her passion and potential, while living in a time, place, and culture devised to silence her.
============================
Gilion at Rose City Reader hosts
Book Beginnings on Fridays.
Click this link for book beginnings
shared by other readers.
============================
You know, I have never read this author at all.
ReplyDeleteI have enjoyed this author, so this one is going on my list. Thanks for sharing, and here's mine: “THE SWAP”
ReplyDeleteI read and enjoyed The Secret Life of Bees and The Mermaid Chair. At first I was put off by The Book of Longings because I do not especially care for biblical fiction, but the more I hear about it, the more interested I become. If the Anita Diamant's The Red Tent can become one of my favorite novels, then perhaps this one will be a winner for me too. I hope you enjoy it! Have a great weekend and stay safe and well.
ReplyDeleteI also love Anita Diamant's The Red Tent, which tells the women's stories omitted from the book of Genesis that were written by men for men in a man's world. This story looks at the possibility that the stories about Jesus don't tell us everything, yet it stays true to what IS written in the Bible. I just finished reading this book — actually, I couldn't put it down, so it also gets a 10/10 rating from me. This is probably the BEST book Sue Monk Kidd has ever written, and I have loved many of them, as I said.
ReplyDeleteIf you enjoyed those you've named, Wendy (Literary Feline), I think you'd like this one as well. Marg (Intrepid Reader), pick ANY of book by Sue Monk Kidd that appeals to you and give it a try. Then let me know what you think. She is SUCH a good writer, in my opinion.