CHARACTER
The Book of Longingsby Sue Monk Kidd

Ana

Ana Character Analysis

Ana is the protagonist and narrator of The Book of Longings, a reimagining of a life absent from historical and religious texts. As the fictional wife of Jesus, Ana embodies intelligence, ambition, and deep spirituality. Her journey is a powerful testament to finding one's voice and realizing inner potential, challenging the patriarchal constraints of her time while sharing a profound love with a man who cherishes her spirit.

Quick Facts

  • Role: Protagonist, narrator, writer, and wife of Jesus
  • First Appearance: Chapter 1
  • Key Relationships: Jesus (husband), Yaltha (aunt and mentor), Judas (adopted brother)

Who She Is

Ana is a woman ahead of her time, yearning for a life beyond the confines of first-century societal expectations. Gifted with intellect and a passion for writing, she seeks to defy the limitations placed upon women, longing to leave a lasting legacy through her words. Her story is a testament to the power of female voices and the courage to challenge the status quo.

Personality & Traits

Ana's character is a compelling mix of intellect, passion, and resilience. She possesses a sharp mind and an insatiable thirst for knowledge, coupled with a fierce determination to defy societal norms and pursue her own path.

  • Intelligent and Scholarly: From a young age, Ana displays a remarkable gift for language and writing. She teaches herself Hebrew to read the Torah, driven by an insatiable desire for knowledge. Her scrolls, reed pens, and inks are her most prized possessions, symbolizing her dedication to the life of the mind.
  • Ambitious and Willful: Ana rebels against the limited roles available to women, longing to be a writer whose words will "be visible to eyes not yet born" (page 8). This ambition, deemed boldness by her mother, Hadar, and a misplaced male trait by her father, Matthias, fuels her quest for a meaningful life and connects to the theme of The Search for Self and Personal Longing.
  • Brave and Defiant: Ana refuses to passively accept oppression. She defies her parents' betrothal plans, confronts the tetrarch Herod Antipas, and challenges societal norms that seek to silence her. Her declaration to Queen Phasaelis, "I AM NO LAMB" (page 112), encapsulates her refusal to be a sacrificial victim.
  • Spiritual and Inquisitive: While raised in a devout Jewish household, Ana's spirituality is personal and expansive. She questions patriarchal religious structures and is drawn to the feminine divine, Sophia. Her creation of the incantation bowl symbolizes her embrace of an alternative, female-centered faith.
  • Empathetic and Compassionate: Ana's desire to write stems from her empathy for the forgotten and silenced. She dedicates herself to chronicling the stories of biblical matriarchs and is deeply moved by the suffering of her friend Tabitha, whose story she vows to preserve.

Character Journey

Ana's journey is one of profound transformation, evolving from a rebellious, sheltered girl into a self-possessed woman who claims her own identity. Initially feeling like a "misfit" (page 3) in Sepphoris, burdened by gifts deemed unnatural for a girl, she clashes with her mother and the future her father has planned. The arrival of her aunt, Yaltha, acts as a catalyst, providing her with the language to understand her "longings" as a sacred part of herself. Her marriage to Jesus in Nazareth marks a new chapter, where she experiences love as an egalitarian partnership but also confronts the harsh realities of poverty and the suppression of her intellectual ambitions. The tragic death of her daughter, Susanna, deepens her understanding of grief and loss, while the brutalization of Tabitha hardens her resolve to bear witness to women's suffering. Ultimately, her exile to Alexandria leads to intellectual liberation, finding a true home among the Therapeutae, where her scholarly and spiritual gifts are honored. Despite the devastating loss of Jesus, she discovers an inviolate strength within herself, realizing that she is, and always has been, a voice.

Key Relationships

Ana's identity is profoundly shaped by her intense connections with others, each relationship contributing to her growth and understanding of herself.

  • Jesus: As her husband and "Beloved," Jesus is Ana's soulmate, the first to truly see and cherish her "largeness," naming her "Little Thunder" for the rumblings of her spirit. Their relationship is a partnership of mind and heart, where both are encouraged to pursue their individual callings, fostering mutual respect and understanding.
  • Yaltha: Ana's aunt and mentor, Yaltha, is the most influential figure in her early life, validating her intellectual gifts and introducing her to a world of female scholarship and spirituality. She provides a model of female resilience and defiance, empowering Ana to embrace her own unique path.
  • Judas: Her adopted brother, Judas, is her first ally and protector, championing her right to study and understanding her feeling of being an outsider. Although their paths diverge tragically due to his political zealotry, their deep childhood bond remains a significant part of her story, shaping her understanding of loyalty and sacrifice.

Defining Moments

Ana's life is punctuated by key moments that define her character and shape her journey.

  • Receiving the Incantation Bowl: Yaltha gives Ana a limestone bowl and instructs her to write her deepest prayer inside it, calling the longings in her heart her "holy of holies" (page 5). This act solidifies Ana's spiritual path and her identity as a writer, giving her a tangible way to express her inner self.
  • Meeting Jesus in the Market: After fainting in protest of her betrothal to Nathaniel, Ana is helped to her feet by Jesus. Their connection is instantaneous and profound, a moment of recognition that alters the course of both their lives, setting them on a path of shared love and purpose.
  • The Near-Stoning: After defying Herod Antipas's demand that she become his concubine, Ana is accused of theft and blasphemy by his steward, Chuza. A mob prepares to stone her, but Jesus intervenes, saving her life by declaring his intention to marry her. This moment highlights her bravery and Jesus's unwavering support.
  • Freeing the Lambs: During Passover at the Temple, Ana is moved by Jesus's compassion for a poor widow and his anger at the corrupt money changers. In a spontaneous act of defiance, she opens the gate to the pen of sacrificial lambs, creating chaos and mirroring his own rebellious spirit.
  • Writing "Thunder: Perfect Mind": While living with the Therapeutae, Ana is asked to compose a hymn. The result is her masterwork, a powerful and paradoxical poem that expresses the multifaceted nature of the divine feminine and, by extension, herself.
  • Burying Her Codices: In the novel's final moments, Ana buries copies of all her writings in clay jars on the hillside. This act is the culmination of her life's purpose: to preserve her voice and the stories of women for a future generation to find.

Essential Quotes

Ana's words offer profound insights into her character and the themes of the novel.

All my life, longings lived inside me, rising up like nocturnes to wail and sing through the night. That my husband bent his heart to mine on our thin straw mat and listened was the kindness I most loved in him. What he heard was my life begging to be born. (page 1)

This quote encapsulates Ana's lifelong yearning for self-expression and the transformative power of being truly heard and understood. It highlights the unique bond she shares with Jesus, who recognizes and nurtures her inner spirit.

"A man’s holy of holies contains God’s laws, but inside a woman’s there are only longings." (page 5)

This quote, spoken by Yaltha, challenges the traditional patriarchal view of women as lacking in spiritual depth. It suggests that a woman's "longings" are not trivial desires but rather the sacred expressions of her soul's purpose.

Lord our God, hear my prayer, the prayer of my hea. Bless the largeness inside me, no maer how I fear it. Bless my rd pens and my inks. Bless the ords I write. May they be beautiful in your sight. May they be visible to eyes not yet born. When I am dust, sing these ords oer my bones: she was a oice. (page 8)

This prayer reveals Ana's deep desire to use her gifts for a higher purpose and to leave a lasting legacy through her writing. It speaks to her fear of her own potential and her hope that her words will resonate with future generations.

I AM NO LAMB. (page 112)

This powerful declaration encapsulates Ana's refusal to be a passive victim of circumstance. It symbolizes her determination to resist oppression and to claim her own agency in a world that seeks to silence her.

I am Ana. I was the wife of Jesus of Nazareth. I am a voice. (page 415)

This simple yet profound statement affirms Ana's identity and her ultimate purpose. Despite the challenges and losses she has faced, she recognizes herself as a woman who loved Jesus and, above all, a voice that will continue to resonate through time.