In Sue Monk Kidd’s, new novel, “The Book of Longing,” she imagines a young woman named Ana, who becomes the wife of Jesus. The novel explores many of the signature themes in Kidd’s fiction: feminism, the search for self, the quest for one’s voice and purpose, and the power of female community.
In particular, this novel explores the longings and virtuosity in women; as well as their silencing and marginalization within Western religion. The story evokes a seminal question: how would the world be different if Jesus had had a wife? Sue Monk Kidd’s debut, “The Secret Life of Bees” spent more than 100 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, it has sold more than 6 million copies. Her other novels include “The Mermaid Chair” and “The Invention of Wings”.