Book Review
Title: The Book of Longings
Author: Sue Monk Kidd
Genre: Literary Fiction/Historical/Romance
Rating: *****
Review: The Book of Longings wasn’t initially on my radar despite the interesting synopsis as I don’t tend to read any literary fiction and I rarely read historical novels outside of YA historical. However, this was one of the books I picked for my Goodreads 2020 reading challenge to challenge myself. The novel opens in Sepphoris in 16-17 CE where we are introduced to Ana, the wife of Jesus. Ana is born into a life of privilege as her father is a wealthy man but she has skilled more suited to a young boy of her time not limited to her love of reading and writing which her father has indulged. Hated by her mother she has a close relationship with her aunt, Yaltha who her parents took in under mysterious circumstances but Yaltha is forbidden to speak of her past. However, she does tell Ana about the women of Alexandria who read and write and aren’t looked down upon for it and gives her some religious practices to follow. Ana also has a close relationship with her adopted brother, Judas who taught her compassion for those less fortunate than herself and always hated her father for the connections he has with Rome leading to her father casting him out of their home. One day Ana is taken to the market with her mother and father in the best clothes where she quickly realises, she is going to be betrothed to a man far older than her purely because he wants a son, a common practice of the time but one Ana hoped she had escaped, however, in the market she meets a young man Jesus who helps her when she falls although because of his lesser stations the guards think he attacked her and don’t listen to her when she tries to correct them.
As we approach the ¼ mark in the novel, Ana feels a connection to Jesus in that brief meeting and thinks of him often but she never gives voices to these thoughts even as she makes the displeasure over her betrothal known to everyone around her. However, in order to keep the small luxuries, she has been allowed as a women she appears meek and mild while her thoughts are anything but that. The net is closing in around Ana as time passes and it is announced that the betrothal will that place at the Palace of Herod Antipas, the very man her brother, Judas hates almost as much as he hates Rome. Yaltha helps Ana as much as she can getting her brother to allow her to be sent to the home of Ana’s husband when it is time for her to leave but not even, she can stop the marriage as her father plans for it to go ahead with or without Ana’s consent and she can’t figure out why. In between Ana’s musing she learns that her friend, Tabitha was raped by a soldier and when she tries to speak out about her father cut out her tongue to try and lessen the shame brought on her family which infuriates Ana. However, Ana learns that Tabitha’s father is the thief who has been stealing from Herod Antipas and threatens to expose him and she paints the walls of his office with Tabitha’s blood as a reminder of what he has done. As the time draws closer for the betrothal vows to be held at the Palace, Judas reappears for a brief meeting with Ana as he has learned of her betrothal and vows, he will do whatever he can to stop the marriage and burns down half of Nathaniel’s date grove and explains that her father added an extra layer to the betrothal contract that was unspoken. In exchange for power in Herod Antipas’ inner circle, her father will receive a large portion of Nathaniel’s land which he has always craved since losing his own birthright to his scheming older brother and Ana realises her father has sold her for greed. At the Palace, Ana meets Antipas’ wife, Phasaelis who becomes her friend as they both possess a fire within them and she gives Ana advice and place where she can be herself. However, during the ceremony, Judas is led in with another outspoken traitor against Rome and while one is sentenced to death, Judas is sentenced to imprisonment in Machaerus. Ana is obviously heartbroken at the loss of one of her only friend but during a visit to the Palace, Antipas’ makes his sexual intentions towards Ana known but he wants her to sit for a portrait for his mosaics but she refuses unless he frees Judas which he does and she upholds her end of the bargain. After his release, Judas is more dangerous than ever and Ana learns first hand that if Antipas truly wanted to rape her, she would be powerless against him but that doesn’t stop her fighting. During all this she also gets to meet Jesus again and he strengthens her resolve although little is said between them and when news reaches Ana that her intended husband has died in the wake of a fever that has swept through the land she is overjoyed even if she will now be seen as a widow which is a shame for her to bear alone.
As we cross the ¼ mark in the novel, I was enjoying Ana’s story but I wanted to see more of Jesus and the blossoming relationship between them as Ana claims herself to be Jesus’ wife in the first sentence of the novel. As Ana faces more hostile comments from the public and her father’s image plummets, her father arranges for Ana to become the concubine of Herod Antipas but she refuses fleeing from the Palace. She is chased down by Antipas’ men claiming she is a thief and harlot and as she knows Jesus is in the city, she flees to where he is working the hopes of escaping the men. However, she is cornered and people being throwing stones at her when Antipas’ men call her a thief but Jesus intervenes and when it is revealed the man is working for Antipas the public opinion changes as he is far more hated by the people of the city and Jesus even claims to be her betrothed. As he walks her back home, Ana thinks about whether the proposal was real or not and the pair share a cute and awkward moment together where they agree to marry. That evening her father tries to repair the damage Ana has done to no avail as Antipas doesn’t want her and he has demoted her father but her father signs the betrothal contract to Jesus and 30 days later she leaves her father’s home for the home of her husband without ceremony. Upon arriving Ana is first struck by how differently Jesus’ family lives to hers but she is happy to be with him and goes willing to the marriage bed where they know each other as husband and wife. The following morning, she is struck again but how unprepared she is for working class life as she doesn’t know how to do simple things like milk a goat or even cook so this is going to be a challenge for her but she has Yaltha with her and Ana is feeling hopeful about this life ahead of her. Knowing what happens in the story of Jesus’ life and how he was betrayed by Judas to the Romans I was eager to see how much of that would actually happen and how it would affect the marriage between Jesus and Ana.
As we approach the halfway mark in the novel, we follow Ana and Jesus in the first six years of their marriage where they get along great although Jesus frequent absences for work leave Ana alone. Ana tries to fit in with her new family and all but abandons her writing because they can’t afford the materials, she needs even though Jesus promises her that one day she will return to her writing. While she gets along well with Mary, Ana finds that she doesn’t get along as well with Jesus’ brothers or her sister-in-law but she still has Yaltha at her side which gives her some comfort when her husband is away. However, she finds herself with child and she is content to have the child but during her seventh month she goes into labour while Jesus is away working as a fisherman. Her aunt, Mary and her newer sister-in-law help her give birth but the child, a little girl is stillborn. Ana is heartbroken as she names her daughter Susanna and the prepare her for burial alongside Joseph and Ana begs for word to be sent to her husband so he can return home and grieve their child. Jesus returns almost a week after Susanna’s burial and the couple grieve together, for a time after, Jesus and Yaltha bring her pot shards to write on and she writes of her daughter as that is her way of grieving but it is looking down upon by other members of the family. A few months after the death of her child, Ana is thinking about becoming with child again but after a conversation with Jesus late one night and a dream she decides against it and begins taking the herbs again as she has the feeling that Jesus will soon be leaving them for the calling, he talked about before they married and it will be easier for everyone if he doesn’t have children holding him back from that calling. During this time, we can see that both Jesus and Ana are moving towards their ultimate purposes and while we know what Jesus’ is, I have no idea what Ana’s purpose could be but she feels as if she is about to born again. Soon after Judas comes to visit his sister and explains the movement to get rid of the Romans hasn’t lost traction but he also informs her of the death of her mother and the illness that is going to take her father soon and while she doesn’t grieve for her mother, she grieves for what could have been better them. This loss is made worse when she and Jesus go and see John the Baptist and Ana knows from Jesus’ manner that he is going to be leaving her soon and he does. However, he doesn’t take Ana has John has no women among his disciples and he won’t have the power to bring her without John’s consent so she stays behind with Jesus’ family and waits for him to return home. During the time Jesus is away, Lavi arrives to inform her of her father’s death and the fact that Haran is selling the house and Yaltha makes it known she wants to return to Alexandria as she feels this is her only chance to find her lost daughter and Ana makes it possible by stealing her mother’s jewellery and selling it to bribe the treasury to take her aunt back with him. By the time they return, Jesus has also returned and from him she learns that John has been imprisoned and he is going to take up leading the cause but his ideals differ from John’s and plans to preach God’s love to everyone not just the removal of the Romans and this time he agrees to take Ana with him even though it is going to be difficult.
As we cross into the second half of the novel, Jesus and Ana are preparing to leave together when Judas appears once more bearing bad news. He informs them that Heron Antipas has learned of Ana’s involvement of informing his first wife of her impending death which has led to near enough all out war between Antipas and his former wife’s family and in revenge he wants to arrest and possible execute Ana meaning it isn’t safe for her to travel with Jesus where she could be easily recognised. It is decided that she should travel to Alexandria with Yaltha and Lavi and she does knowing it is the right thing to do and she also feels that she is needed in Alexandria but makes Judas swear to use the money she has to fund Jesus campaign and inform her the second it is safe for her to return and he does. When they arrive, it is Ana’s quick mind that keeps Haran from throwing them out on the street and she also protects the servant she bribed to bring them to Egypt and gets her uncle to allow them to live there for a lower price by offering her services as a scribe but Haran has them confined to the house believing that Yaltha with seek out Chaya. Ana uses her position to search through Haran’s personal scrolls to find any mention of Chaya and there is none which is heart-breaking for Yaltha but I believe she will meet her daughter again. After a year, Ana is restless and wants to return to Jesus as soon as she can and sends Lavi out in search of information since they haven’t received a letter from Judas. Lavi does this as her friend since he is seeking to marry one of Haran’s servants and wants to come back to Alexandria and live out his life there. He learns that John the Baptist was executed and there is word of new preacher spreading all over the land and Ana knows this to be Jesus. She wants to return more than ever now but her aunt warns her that despite her desire to see Jesus once more if he is to be captured and killed too, she must also think about what her presence might do and how it might make things more dangerous for Jesus. The relationship between Ana and Jesus is becoming the focal point of the novel but we are also following Ana as she is searching for her own purpose but I have a feeling she has already found it we just aren’t aware of what it is yet.
As we approach the ¾ mark in the novel, Ana and Yaltha makes the journey to Alexandria where they stay with Haran but he keeps them confined to the house for more than a year before they can slip away and find Chaya who is now known as Diodora. They find Diodora and Yaltha explains who she is and the reasons why she was never able to claim her as her daughter and it seems that Diodora doesn’t want anything to do with Yaltha but she firmly believes that given enough time her daughter will seek her out. As always Yaltha faith is proven right when Diodora comes seeking her mother and wanting a relationship for her but Haran finds them. Ana tries to plead with her uncle for the three of them to return to her home which means she would be back with Jesus too but Diodora has no wish to leave Alexandria, the place she has called home all her life so Haran sends her away and locks Yaltha and Ana up intended to hand them over the Roman authorities the next day. However, Lavi and his wife come for them and free them taking them to the haven, Yaltha stayed at before but Lavi has to leave his wife behind to wait for the letter from Judas and she agrees. Haran refuses to give up sending soldiers to wait just outside the haven for anyone fitting Ana or Yaltha’s descriptions and months pass as Ana binds her writings into books and composes songs for the haven. Eventually Lavi’s wife does deliver a letter from Judas and he claims he has sent others but, in this letter, he claims it is relatively safe for her to return but he also confesses he is willing to sacrifice one for the many if it means bringing down the Romance and Ana and Yaltha both know he intends to hand Jesus over to the Romans at Passover meaning Ana has less than two weeks to return home and save her husband, the man she loves from her brother. They scheme to smuggle Ana out of the haven in a coffin as that is the only thing neither the Romans or Jews won’t disturb and it works and in no time at all Ana is heading for home. However, I am getting the sinking feeling that Ana isn’t going to make it in time to save her husband and she will only be greeted with more devastation and gift that she should have seen in her 26 years.
As we cross into the final section of the novel, we obviously know how Jesus’ story ends and that doesn’t change here but it was no less heart-breaking to watch Ana as Jesus is crucified and buried and to feel her anguish at her brother’s actions and her despair over his death as well. Afterwards, Ana returns to Alexandria where she spends the rest of her days with the haven eventually becoming the leader of it but she never forgets Jesus but she is able to move on after he comes to her in a vision presumably after his resurrection and tells her that he will always be with her and she hopes that one day they will be reunited but she devotes herself to her writing and preserving her story and the stories of the women around her for others in the future. Honestly, Ana’s story was heart-breaking from beginning to end and while I hoped for her to get a happy ending it just wasn’t meant to be and if she did it would have diminished the impact this novel had on me. I will definitely be checking out more of Sue Monk Kidd’s work in the future and this book might have changed my opinion on literary fiction as a genre. Highly recommended especially if you have a philosophical or theological interest in the story and life of Jesus or just an interest in religion in general but it can definitely be enjoyed by everyone if you have the stomach to endure Ana’s relentless pain and heartache.
Buy it here:
Paperback/Hardcover: amazon.co.uk amazon.com
Kindle Edition: amazon.co.uk amazon.com
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