Hi friends! I haven’t written in a while. To be honest, this whole pandemic thing has me feeling a little bit down and as a teacher, I’ve been working much harder than normal for a summer break. The anxiety I have about the coming school year is also weighing pretty heavy on me so blogging has not really been a priority this summer.

However, I have a book that I just have to take the time to write about and share with you. This morning I sat in a dimly lit room and feverishly finished the last one hundred pages of The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd. I can easily say that this is one of the top five contenders for the best book I read in 2020. I can’t recommend this book enough.

So, you’re probably wondering what this book is about. The Book of Longings tells the story of Ana, sister of Judas and wife of Jesus of Nazareth. Yes, you read that right. The story is very much about Ana but Jesus is a wonderful character in the story, a very human and lovable character.

The story begins with Ana as a fourteen year old girl with a hunger for writing. Her father, Herod Antipas’ head scribe, teaches Ana to read and write and she is determined to record the stories of women that are often forgotten.

Ana meets Jesus in a crowded marketplace and through a serious of fateful events, they end up married. Ana leaves her family home to live with Jesus in Nazareth. The story follows the rest of Ana’s life through all the triumphs and tragedies. I can’t tell you much more without spoiling the book but I’m sure you can use your imagination to see where parts of her story goes as her brother, Judas, betrays both her and her husband.

Sue Monk Kidd, a wonderful writer, tackled such a wonderful and imaginative subject. I don’t think anyone else could have written this book. The Book of Longings was one of the most beautiful books I’ve read. It is definitely the best book I’ve read so far this year but it will probably end up being one of my all time favorite books.

From a historical perspective, Kidd did an outstanding job. She was able to paint a very accurate picture of what life would be like during this time period in Galilee. It is very clear that she spent countless hours researching traditions, beliefs, and ways of life of this period.

I will warn you that the first fifty to a hundred pages were a bit slow for me. I really couldn’t tell you why it was so slow for me. However, I was hooked once Ana and Jesus started their life together in Nazareth. It is an emotional book. The last thirty pages or so left me weeping as I finished this book around four o’clock this morning. I was a bit surprised by this emotional response, honestly. I’ve strayed from the church and struggled with my faith for a few years now so I really didn’t expect to be as moved by this novel as I was. I picked this book up simply because I thought the premise of this story would be interesting.

If you need a summer read that will capture your attention with an emotional story and beautiful writing, check out The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd. You won’t be disappointed. Five out of five stars from me!