The Book of Longings

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Raised in a wealthy family in Sepphoris, Ana is a rebellious and ambitious woman with a brilliant mind and daring spirit. Despite her talents, she finds no outlet for her ambitions and defies societal expectations by engaging in secret scholarly pursuits, writing narratives about neglected women. Her life changes when she meets the eighteen-year-old Jesus, whose spiritual and philosophical ideas deeply resonate with her. Their relationship blossoms into a marriage filled with love, conflict, humor, and pathos in Nazareth, where Ana builds a home with Jesus, his brothers, and their mother, Mary. Amidst the turbulent resistance to Roman occupation, partly led by her charismatic adopted brother, Judas, Ana's longings intensify. She is supported by her strong aunt Yaltha, who is searching for her lost daughter, and other women like her friend Tabitha, who faces tragedy, and Phasaelis, the clever wife of Herod Antipas. Ana's impulsive nature sometimes leads her into danger. One such incident forces her to flee Nazareth just before Jesus's public ministry begins. She escapes to Alexandria with Yaltha, where she ultimately discovers refuge and purpose in unexpected ways.