From a purely historical perspective, her behaviour is very much out of time and place, starting with her objection to an arranged marriage, which to my understanding was very much an accepted norm in those times. If you’re going into this book expecting a true retelling of first-century history, then I will have to disappoint you because this novel is modernized and fictionalized in more than a few ways, but none stand out as much as Ana’s character. As you might have guessed from the short synopsis of the premise, this book pertains more to the category of heavily fictionalized rather than accurate history.Īnger is effortless.

They can go anywhere from simply drawing inspiration from history to recreating it as faithfully as our present knowledge allows it, and I believe every approach has its merits… so long as the reader knows what they are getting into. When writing a historical novel, every author must make the decision as to how accurate they want to be in regards to reality. A Heavily Modernized History in The Book of Longings It’s only a matter of time before Ana’s life is in peril due to her own shameless actions, and thus greater dangers begin to pursue her as her life veers increasingly towards the unexpected. She longs to make a difference in the world, to give a voice to the silenced women of her time, and if she can along the way, to resist the Roman occupation of Israel.

Due to a perhaps fortunate turn of events, Ana’s betrothed doesn’t live for very long, and after marrying Jesus, they go off to live with his brother’s family in Nazareth.ĭespite the marriage having ultimately gone her way, Ana isn’t content with spending the remainder of her days as a housewife, with a passionate and rebellious soul burning inside of her. She is to be married off to an old widower, a prospect which certainly doesn’t excite her, especially after she meets the eighteen-year-old Jesus by chance at the market. The story takes place in the first century, starting off in Galilee and introducing us to Ana, daughter of a wealthy family with ties to the ruler of the region. Though it might sound counter-intuitive, there are no real guidelines or limitations as to how authors can make use of history in their novels, as we’re about to see in The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd. There are numerous reasons why historical backdrops are used quite often in works of fiction, and I believe the most important one is their ability to draw us in and add impact to the story by virtue of connecting it with people whom existed and events which actually transpired.

History, though it may have been a boring subject in school for many, is something we generally learn to appreciate as we get older for various reasons. Sue Monk Kidd Remoulds the First Century to her Liking

Book review the book of longings