Ana is born in Galilee at a time when women are seen as possessions, only leaving their fathers' homes to marry.
Ana longs to control her destiny. Taught to read despite her mother's misgivings, she wants to be a writer and to find her own voice. A voice that will speak for the silenced women around her.
Betrothed to an elderly widower, Ana almost despairs. But an encounter with a charismatic young carpenter in Nazareth awakens new longings in her, and a different future opens up.
Yet this is not a simple love story. Ana's journey will bring both joy and tragedy, but it will also be enriched by the female friendships she makes along the way.
The Book of Longings is an exquisite tale of dreams and desire, and of the power of women to change the world.
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(@TinderPress, 18 March 2021, 434 pages, ebook, #ARC from the publisher via # NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed, #BlogTour 27 March via @RandomTTours)
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I've only read a couple of books by the author and really enjoyed them so I had high hopes for this. The book appealed to me because it's set during biblical times. I read a book recently set during the same era and thought it was great so I want to read other fiction set around the same time. I find something oddly appealing about the era. I'm not religious and I must admit I was a little put off when I realised she married Jesus. Thankfully, the author does a brilliant job of bringing the story and characters to life. The story of Jesus and his crucifixion is familiar one yet the author does a brilliant job of bringing it to life and making it a human story. I cried a lot reading this book.
