The Book of Longings

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What to expect

THE New York Times BESTSELLER

FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE MULTI-MILLION-COPY-SELLING The Secret Life of Bees and The Invention of Wings

'Superlative . . . From a writer at the top of her game . . . A practically perfect historical novel' New York Journal of Books

'A bold, imaginative reworking' Sunday Times

'Brilliant . . . Brava!" The Daily Mail

'Fascinating . . . Clever, rebellious Ana is a memorable character' The Times

An extraordinary story set in the first century about a woman who finds her voice and her destiny, from the celebrated number one New York Times bestselling author of The Secret Life of Bees and The Invention of Wings

'I am Ana. I was the wife of Jesus.'

In her mesmerizing fourth work of fiction, Sue Monk Kidd brings her acclaimed narrative gifts to imagine the story of a young woman called Ana.

Ana is a rebellious young woman, a gifted writer with a curious, brilliant mind, who writes secret narratives about the neglected and silenced women around her. Raised in a wealthy family in Galilee, she is sheltered from the brutality of Rome's occupation of Israel. Ana is expected to marry an elderly widower to further her father's ambitions, a prospect that horrifies her. A chance encounter with the eighteen-year-old Jesus changes everything: his ideas and his passion are intoxicating.

Taking Ana on a journey she could never have imagined, The Book of Longings is a glorious evocation of a time and a place where astounding events unfolded, and of one woman's fate when she fights to make her voice heard.

'One of my favourites' Alicia Keys

'I kept having to close this novel and breathe deeply, again and again . . . It is a true masterpiece' Glennon Doyle, author of Untamed

'Unleashes the reader's imagination with glorious evocations of extraordinary times and places, allowing our minds to roam . . . Original, challenging, beautiful' Adele Parks, Platinum

'Compelling . . . Ana is a truly wonderful character, strong and inspiring, and her life story so captivating that it swept me along' Good Housekeeping

(P)2020 Penguin Audio

User Reviews

Book 5.0
Narration 5.0
5.0
5.0
lynnreads 31/01/2024
5.0
5.0
One of those books that stays with you after you’ve finished it. I particularly appreciated the author’s reflection on the writing of the book at the end - the connection between her fictional account of Jesus’ wife and scrolls discovered in Egypt which perhaps inspired the story. Well researched, well written and nicely read.
jo tait 27/10/2023

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