The Book of Longings -- Sue Monk Kidd

<b><b>"An extraordinary novel . . . a triumph of insight and storytelling." --Associated Press</b> <p/><b>"</b>A true masterpiece.<b>" --Glennon Doyle, author of <i>Untamed</i></b> <p/> <b>An extraordinary story set in the first century about a woman who finds her voice and her destiny, from the celebrated number one <i>New York Times </i>bestselling author of <i>The Secret Life of Bees</i> and <i>The Invention of Wings</i></b></b> <p/>In her mesmerizing fourth work of fiction, Sue Monk Kidd takes an audacious approach to history and brings her acclaimed narrative gifts to imagine the story of a young woman named Ana. Raised in a wealthy family with ties to the ruler of Galilee, she is rebellious and ambitious, with a brilliant mind and a daring spirit. She engages in furtive scholarly pursuits and writes narratives about neglected and silenced women. Ana is expected to marry an older widower, a prospect that horrifies her. An encounter with eighteen-year-old Jesus changes everything. <p/>Their marriage evolves with love and conflict, humor and pathos in Nazareth, where Ana makes a home with Jesus, his brothers, and their mother, Mary. Ana's pent-up longings intensify amid the turbulent resistance to Rome's occupation of Israel, partially led by her brother, Judas. She is sustained by her fearless aunt Yaltha, who harbors a compelling secret. When Ana commits a brazen act that puts her in peril, she flees to Alexandria, where startling revelations and greater dangers unfold,