Elizabeth's Reviews > The Book of Longings

The Book of Longings is a what if: what if Jesus was married? It's certainly a valid question as his movements, as tracked in the Bible, don't start until he's well into adulthood, and documents from the time period are spotty due to all the unrest in Emperor Tiberius"s reign.

Sue Monk Kidd introduces Ana, daughter of wealthy parents who has learned to write, believes in herself and that women matter outside the home (this was a fairly radical notion) and is related to Judas.

Ana is a great at everything, always has her wits about her, and manages to carve out her own life while being present for the start of Jesus' ministry and his death.

This should be a great book--it is written with care and a close eye for historical events, etc. but Ana is simply too perfect. There is nothing she can't do, no historical moment she isn't part of, and those with even a passing familiarity with Jesus's life know what will happen. Everything unfolds at a near glacial pace and while I enjoy description and side quests as much as anyone, this would have been better as a novella, with tighter pacing and less meandering toward the foregone conclusion.