Release date April 28, 2020

Sue Monk Kidd to Release New Novel ‘The Book of Longings’ on April 28, 2020

“I am Ana. I was the wife of Jesus.” So begins the new novel from the number one New York Times bestselling author of The Secret Life of Bees and The Invention of Wings, an extraordinary story set in the first century about a woman who finds her voice and her destiny in a time of great despair and great hope.

In her fourth work of fiction, Sue Monk Kidd brings her acclaimed narrative gifts to imagine the story of a young woman named Ana. Raised in a wealthy family in Sepphoris with ties to the ruler of Galilee, she is rebellious and ambitious, a relentless seeker with a brilliant, curious mind and a daring spirit. She yearns for a pursuit worthy of her life, but finds no outlet for her considerable talents. Defying the expectations placed on women, she engages in furtive scholarly pursuits and writes secret narratives about neglected and silenced women. When she meets the eighteen-year-old Jesus, each is drawn to and enriched by the other’s spiritual and philosophical ideas. He becomes a floodgate for her intellect, but also the awakener of her heart.

Their marriage unfolds with love and conflict, humor and pathos in Nazareth, where Ana makes a home with Jesus, his brothers, James and Simon, and their mother, Mary. Here, Ana’s pent-up longings intensify amid the turbulent resistance to the Roman occupation of Israel, partially led by her charismatic adopted brother, Judas. She is sustained by her indomitable aunt Yaltha, who is searching for her long-lost daughter, as well as by other women, including her friend Tabitha, who is sold into slavery after she was raped, and Phasaelis, the shrewd wife of Herod Antipas. Ana’s impetuous streak occasionally invites danger. When one such foray forces her to flee Nazareth for her safety shortly before Jesus’s public ministry begins, she makes her way with Yaltha to Alexandria, where she eventually finds refuge and purpose in unexpected surroundings.

Grounded in meticulous historical research and written with a reverential approach to Jesus’s life that focuses on his humanity, The Book of Longingsis an inspiring 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.

Sue Monk Kidd said, “It was clear to me that I wanted to portray Jesus as fully human. Writing from a novelist’s perspective and not a religious one, I was drawn to his humanity, which can often be overlooked. Ana wandered into my imagination and I couldn’t ignore her. If Jesus actually did have a wife and history unfolded exactly the way it has, then she would be the most silenced woman in history and the woman most in need of a voice.”

Sue Monk Kidd’s debut novel, The Secret Life of Bees, spent more than one hundred weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, has sold more than six million copies in the United States, was turned into both an award-winning major motion picture and a musical, and has been translated into thirty-six languages. Her second novel, The Mermaid Chair, was a number one New York Times bestseller and was adapted into a television movie. Her third novel, The Invention of Wings, an Oprah’s Book Club 2.0 pick, was also a number one New York Times bestseller. She is the author of several acclaimed memoirs, including The Dance of the Dissident Daughter, her groundbreaking work on religion and feminism, as well as the New York Times bestseller Traveling with Pomegranates, written with her daughter, Ann Kidd Taylor. She lives in North Carolina.

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/318854/the-book-of-longings-by-sue-monk-kidd/?ref=PRH18A6A07C76&aid=5749&linkid=PRH18A6A07C76

Pictured: Elizabeth Teeter (Lily), Anastacia McCleskey (May), LaChanze (August), Eisa Davis (June), Sue Monk Kidd, Saycon Sengbloh (Rosaleen)

On June 13, 2019 Sue attended the Off Broadway debut of The Secret Life of Bees at The Atlantic Theater. Afterwards she celebrated the performance with the cast, crew and creative team. Having sold out its initial 2 month run, the show was recently extended through July 21, 2019. Ticket inquires can be made through The Atlantic Theater at https://atlantictheater.org/production/the-secret-life-of-bees/.

(Reviews courtesy of The Atlantic Theater website )

The Secret Life of Bees World Premiere Musical will debut Off Broadway during the 2019 Spring season. Presented by The Atlantic Theater Company, the musical will open at the Linda Gross Theater in New York City. The musical is written by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage (Sweat), with music by Tony and Grammy Award winner Duncan Sheik (Spring Awakening), lyrics by two-time Tony nominee and Drama Desk winner Susan Birkenhead (Jelly’s Last Jam), directed by Tony winner Sam Gold (Fun Home); based on the best-selling novel by Sue Monk Kidd.

“South Carolina, 1964. Lily Owens, a restless white teenager, struggles with her merciless father and the haunting memory of her mother’s death. When Rosaleen, her black caregiver, is beaten and jailed for asserting her right to vote, Lily’s rebellious spirit is ignited. She and Rosaleen escape on an adventure where they are taken in by a trio of black beekeeping sisters. While Lily tries to unlock the secrets of her past, she and Rosaleen find solace in the mesmerizing world of bees and spirituality in this extraordinary tale of awakening, fellowship and healing.”

The Atlantic Company website contains further details and ticket information.

The Dance of the Dissident Daughter is now available for the first time in audiobook format.  Included with this 20th anniversary edition is a new introduction. Learn more.

Sue’s daughter, Ann Kidd Taylor’s first novel will be published by Viking June 6, 2017. A beautiful novel about love, loss, and sharks, The Shark Club is a bittersweet story about the power of forgiveness and the promise of love. Ann and Sue co-authored the New York Times bestselling memoir Traveling with Pomegranates in 2009.

Please visit Ann’s new website for more details: www.annkiddtaylor.com.

Sue is happy to announce the creation of an annual scholarship in honor of her parents. The Leah & Ridley Monk Scholarship has been created by Sue to assist a deserving student’s entry into college. Sue’s high school alma mater, Worth County High School in Sylvester, Georgia, will be the first recipient school. The scholarship is open to Worth County High School seniors of all races and genders who meets the minimum eligibility requirements.

For more information, visit Worth County Schools.

HarperOne is reissuing a lovely new edition of When the Heart Waits, Sue’s passionate and moving account of spiritual crisis and grace. First published 26 years ago, this wise memoir has become an enduring spiritual classic. It is now available in eBook and the new print edition will be released on October 11, 2016. Learn more.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Sue’s acclaimed spiritual memoir, a special edition of The Dance of the Dissident Daughter is being released on September 20, 2016 with a brand new Introduction by the author. Over the last two decades, this groundbreaking work of feminine spiritual discovery has impacted hundreds of thousands of readers, and is as compelling today as when it was first published. In its press release, HarperOne’s SVO and Publisher, Mark Tauber states: “We are so proud to bring her unique wisdom to a new generation of readers with this anniversary edition.”

HarperOne is also releasing The Dance of the Dissident Daughter in eBook format for the first time. Learn more.

Sue’s alma mater, TCU, conferred on her an honorary Doctorate of Letters at the university’s May 7, 2016 commencement.  Sue graduated from TCU in 1970.

Along with authors Anne Lamott, Pat Conroy, Cheryl Strayed, and others, Sue is among the contributors to a new book about the art of writing memoir edited by veteran author Meredith Maran. In Why We Write About Ourselves, “twenty of America’s bestselling memoirists share their innermost thoughts and hard-earned tips, revealing what drives them to tell their personal stories, and the nuts and bolts of how they do it.” Published January 26, 2016, this self-revealing book has garnered admiring reviews, with Booklist declaring it “chock-full of brilliance and insight.”