Ana

Ana is the protagonist and first person narrator of the novel. Her identity is defined by her boldness, resistance to expectation, and desire to live a free and uninhibited life. When she is a child, she convinces her father to get her a tutor. Uncommon for most young Jewish girls at the time, Ana's literacy opens a new world for her. When she realizes that her religion does not put precedence on the lives and stories of the women in the Scriptures, she decides to chronicle the overlooked stories of the women in her life. Her writing practice is disrupted, however, when her parents betroth her to Nathaniel ben Hananiah. Terrified of losing her independence and her one source of agency, Ana actively resists the marriage. When Nathaniel dies suddenly from a fever, Ana pursues a relationship with Jesus ben Joseph of Nazareth.

The two marry and move...