However, it was a work of fiction, The Secret Life of Bees, that truly solidified her place among contemporary writers. Sue Monk Kidd first made her mark on the literary circuit with a pair of highly acclaimed, well-loved memoirs detailing her personal spiritual development. She lives near Charleston, South Carolina. She is also the author of several acclaimed memoirs and the recipient of numerous awards, including a Poets & Writers award. Sue Monk Kidd's first novel, The Secret Life of Bees, spent more than one hundred weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, has sold more than four million copies, and was chosen as the 2004 Book Sense Paperback Book of the Year and Good Morning America's 'Read This!' Book Club pick. Currently-lives near Charleston, South Carolina.Awards-Poets and Writers Award Katherine Anne Porter Award.Education-B.S., Texas Christian University.It is a triumph of storytelling both timely and timeless, from a masterful writer at the height of her powers. Grounded in meticulous research and written with a reverential approach to Jesus's life that focuses on his humanity, The Book of Longings is an inspiring, unforgettable account of one woman's bold struggle to realize the passion and potential inside her, while living in a time, place and culture devised to silence her.

Ana determines her fate during a stunning convergence of events considered among the most impactful in human history. When Ana commits a brazen act that puts her in peril, she flees to Alexandria, where startling revelations and greater dangers unfold, and she finds refuge in unexpected surroundings.

She is sustained by her fearless aunt Yaltha, who harbors a compelling secret. Ana's pent-up longings intensify amid the turbulent resistance to Rome's occupation of Israel, partially led by her brother, Judas.

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. 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.īut Ana is expected to marry an older widower, a prospect that horrifies her-until an encounter with eighteen-year-old Jesus changes everything. An extraordinary story set in the first century about a woman who finds her voice and her destiny, from the celebrated author of The Secret Life of Bees and The Invention of Wing s.Īna is raised in a wealthy family with ties to the ruler of Galilee.

The longing sue monk kidd