BOOK REVIEW

 

Book: The Book of Longings

Author: Sue Monk Kidd

While on vacation my mentor shoved a book into my hands and in a whoosh asked, “Have you ever read anything by Sue Monk Kidd? Probably The Secret Life of Bees, right? This book outshines it, but you have to give it a chance!” And thus, that was my introduction to The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd. Seconds later, I could see why she said to give it a chance. “I am Ana. I was the wife of Jesus ben Joseph of Nazareth. I called him Beloved and he, laughing, called me Little Thunder”.  This is how the story begins. Wait a minute! Jesus wasn’t married! But I kept going, as instructed, and found myself staying up well into the night reading.

It is the story of Ana, and part of her story is that she is married to Jesus, the Messiah. But that’s not her whole story. Her story is a path of self-discovery; learning how to stand up for what she believes in, finding her place in a man-centered world, and caring for her loved ones through incredibly difficult situations. It’s a story most women can relate to because we’ve walked similar paths.

My absolute favorite part is Ana working through her personal relationship with God. There’s a really poignant part where she is processing how she is made in the image of God—same as the men all around her—and yet these men treat her as property, as a thing. And she wrestles with God putting these men and their laws over her which scream to her that she is not made in the image of God. She is honest and raw, asking questions I know women are asking even today.

I would absolutely recommend this book! It is beautiful, honest, and thought provoking.

Order your copy online here.