What readers think of The Book of Longings, plus links to write your own review.

Oh, I was so wrong about this book.

Multiple times I resisted buying this book by Sue Monk Kidd, even though I have read her previous three novels and loved them. But there was something about the plot description that made me recoil. ANOTHER book about Jesus's nonexistent wife? Give me a break. And then I read a professional book review that changed my mind, and I'm really glad that happened. This is not just another book about Jesus's nonexistent wife. It is so much more. Yes, it is a book about Jesus. His family. His early years before his public ministry began. But most of all, it is a radical portrayal of one woman's voice in a time when women had no power, no position, no privilege—and especially no voice.

It would have been most unusual — as in, it would have defied the most closely held and important expectations of society — for Jesus to not have married. New Testament Scripture actually doesn't say one way or the other if Jesus was married. It wasn't until the second century CE that the first claims were made that Jesus remained single and celibate. (Read the "Author's Note" at the end of the book for more fascinating information on this.)

But what if Jesus did marry? That is the premise of Kidd's book, written in the first person by the woman the author imagined to have married him. Her name is Ana, and unlike Jesus, she comes from an upper-class family. Ana is smart and capable. She is also stubborn, determined, and filled with longings for a life she can never have simply because she is female. She can read and write, and her greatest joy in life, much to her mother's chagrin, is writing stories. Ana is a rebel, who finds it difficult to fit into society as the placid and meek woman she is expected to be. When she meets Jesus in the marketplace, her world is turned upside down. Complicating matters, Ana's father is Herod Antipas's top scribe, and Judas is her (adopted) brother. When Ana's life is threatened by Herod Antipas, she escapes to Alexandria with her beloved aunt, Yaltha, who has a devastating secret of her own, which is the same time that Jesus's active ministry begins.

And finally…the Passion story as portrayed in this book is so emotionally and even physically resonant that I found myself holding my breath as I read. It will forever change the way I hear the Passion every Palm Sunday and during the Stations of the Cross.

The power of this book is twofold: First, the expertly researched, detailed, and absolutely fascinating descriptions of life in the first century are worth the price of the book. Second, Kidd writes with the utmost respect and reverence to fully commemorate and portray Jesus's humanity. And as odd as it may sound, it's totally believable and realistic.

Brilliant and beautiful, as well as richly imagined, this book is a thought-provoking celebration of not only Jesus's life, but also the redemptive power of one woman's voice. And that becomes an acknowledgement to all the women throughout time who were silenced and never heard.

This book was so very interesting from the very start till the end, couldn't put it down and thought about it a lot when not reading. What if Jesus was married? What if his brother in law was Judas? What if he lived a very normal, poor life until his ministry began? These and other questions are all looked at from the vantage point of his wife, Ana. Along with a lot of historical background the story is very compelling, I will recommend this to all my bookclub friends.

As a fan of Sue Monk Kidd, I eagerly awaited her new novel. What a captivating story she has woven, it is a completely different outlook on the life of Jesus, told from the perspective of his wife. Wow! It is beautifully and respectfully written and her images will remain with me. In this age of distancing I have started my far flung book club reading and passing along copies of this amazing novel. We will have so much to discuss!

I could not relate to this story. Maybe if the names had been other than Jesus and Mary it would have been easier to read. I kept getting bogged down in my religious upbringing.