First published 1990
Ten-year-old Stavia lives in Marthatown, part of Women's Country, a society born from the ashes of global destruction. Here, women control government, science, and industry while most men remain segregated in military garrisons outside the city walls. The women made this choice to prevent another world war, but the arrangement creates constant tension. As Stavia grows from a curious child into a doctor and council member, she must navigate the complex rules that govern her world. Men can visit during carnival times, and some choose to abandon their garrisons permanently, but most remain warriors living under strict military discipline. Meanwhile, competing societies like the polygamist sects struggle with their own problems of inbreeding and decline. Stavia's journey from girlhood to womanhood forces her to confront the sacrifices her society demands and the price of preventing humanity's destruction.
Genres: science-fiction, dystopia, gender-studies, feminist-theory
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, gender-identity
Setting: Marthatown, Women's Country
Period: 20th-century
363 pages · Paperback · Bantam
Content warnings: sexism, violence