The Gate to Women's Country is set in the future of our own world, as many of Tepper's books are. The world as we know it has been destroyed - in this case, judging by hints in the book, by nuclear power - and the resulting civilizations that form from the small pocketed remnants of humanity are usually vastly different although not entirely separated from the world we know. The alternative is that humanity eventually meets with other worlds, enabling different societies to be shown and contrasted in that way.
Anyway, the book begins with the main character, Stavia. She is heading for a meeting with her fifteen year old son, David, who has spent the last ten years living outside the city walls as a warrior, as all boys do. No man is tested in battle till the age of twenty-five; between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five he must make a choice; to return through the gate to women's country, renouncing the warriors, and living his life as a servitor, studying rather than fighting, or to renounce his mother and live outside as a warrior, returning only once a year for Carnival (the only time women and warriors meet in an intimate manner, although they may talk over the wall at other times). The servitors are looked down on by the warriors, and some are even attacked by their century as they return through the gate. It is rumoured among the warriors that the returning servitors are castrated. It is, at least, known that the servitors never father children, since every son is brought to his warrior father (a daughter's parentage is not discussed unless she seems to be becoming involved with a close relative). There are many cities in women's country (Stavia's home, and therefore the main setting of the book being Marthatown), the cities branching off when they reach the point where they are unable to support themselves on the land nearby.
While the women spend their lives learning, rediscovering the knowledge that was lost, and growing food, the warriors spend their time in ceremonies, games (with sports similar to our football/soccer), and, of course, in battles with other garrisons. Warriors are not allowed to study; the founders of women's country decided that wars must be fought in hand to hand combat. They refused to allow warriors to learn techniques that will enable them to attack cities, to kill many people at a distance, and so on. A warrior must see the face of the man he kills. Therefore, when a garrison goes to war, to protect its city, no women or children are killed. Only men who have chosen to fight do so.
However, some women, (often blinded with love for a certain warrior) feel that the ordinances are silly and pointless. A few women run away to live as whores outside the city, some because a warrior has convinced them that he will run away with them, and others simply because they prefer it. Others, including Stavia, break or bend the ordinances in other ways, often not fully realising the point of the ordinances and the effects of their actions.
Some of the warriors also feel that the ordinances are pointless. Some of them make a game of seducing women out of the city walls, while others have more ambitious and sinister plans. Some of the warriors feel that, even if they take over the cities, the women will continue growing food for, and supporting them, while they both have their cake and eat it. They believe that the women have some secret, some weapon or such, and they feel that they deserve to share in it. Several warriors believe that if the women do have such a weapon they would be fully justified in taking it, women being too weak to handle such power.
The rest of the story is told in flashbacks from Stavia's meeting with Dawid, most of the book focusing on Stavia's romance with Chernon, a young warrior. As Stavia struggles with her feelings for Chernon and her respect for the ordinances, which forbid much of what he asks her to do. As certain events come to pass, Stavia finally learns why women's country is the way it is.
The twist, when it finally comes, is amazing, and completely unexpected, despite the many hints and foreshadowing's in the book. I bullied my boyfriend into reading this, and I had to try so hard to stop myself from blurting it out before he got to it.
The characters are amazing, and have a great amount of depth. The servitor who lives with Stavia's family, Joshua, although presented as merely background for most of the book, is, in fact, one of the most important characters. The amount of depth and emotion given to him is incredible, and allows the reader to empathize with him perfectly.
Although this book is as old as I am, it doesn't seem at all dated to me. Despite being one of Tepper's shorter books, at just over three hundred pages, it still has a great amount of depth and plot for you to mull over.
The contrast of societies is also fascinating. Halfway through the book, another society, separate from women's country is introduced. This is more patriarchal, and practices bigamy, despite a shortage of females (due to a practice of female infanticide a decade or so before). The differences and similarities between this society, women's country, and our own world give you a lot to think about. No society is perfect of course, but the thought of something completely different is interesting.
This is a feminist book, so, naturally, many of the villains of the piece are male while many of the heroes are, in fact, heroines. Some characters, such as Joshua provide balance, but the book is essentially about the difference between stereotypical male and female values.
In summary, this book is amazing. I love Sheri S. Tepper's work, and although this isn't my favourite, it does have a certain charm all its own.
Anyway, the book begins with the main character, Stavia. She is heading for a meeting with her fifteen year old son, David, who has spent the last ten years living outside the city walls as a warrior, as all boys do. No man is tested in battle till the age of twenty-five; between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five he must make a choice; to return through the gate to women's country, renouncing the warriors, and living his life as a servitor, studying rather than fighting, or to renounce his mother and live outside as a warrior, returning only once a year for Carnival (the only time women and warriors meet in an intimate manner, although they may talk over the wall at other times). The servitors are looked down on by the warriors, and some are even attacked by their century as they return through the gate. It is rumoured among the warriors that the returning servitors are castrated. It is, at least, known that the servitors never father children, since every son is brought to his warrior father (a daughter's parentage is not discussed unless she seems to be becoming involved with a close relative). There are many cities in women's country (Stavia's home, and therefore the main setting of the book being Marthatown), the cities branching off when they reach the point where they are unable to support themselves on the land nearby.
While the women spend their lives learning, rediscovering the knowledge that was lost, and growing food, the warriors spend their time in ceremonies, games (with sports similar to our football/soccer), and, of course, in battles with other garrisons. Warriors are not allowed to study; the founders of women's country decided that wars must be fought in hand to hand combat. They refused to allow warriors to learn techniques that will enable them to attack cities, to kill many people at a distance, and so on. A warrior must see the face of the man he kills. Therefore, when a garrison goes to war, to protect its city, no women or children are killed. Only men who have chosen to fight do so.
However, some women, (often blinded with love for a certain warrior) feel that the ordinances are silly and pointless. A few women run away to live as whores outside the city, some because a warrior has convinced them that he will run away with them, and others simply because they prefer it. Others, including Stavia, break or bend the ordinances in other ways, often not fully realising the point of the ordinances and the effects of their actions.
Some of the warriors also feel that the ordinances are pointless. Some of them make a game of seducing women out of the city walls, while others have more ambitious and sinister plans. Some of the warriors feel that, even if they take over the cities, the women will continue growing food for, and supporting them, while they both have their cake and eat it. They believe that the women have some secret, some weapon or such, and they feel that they deserve to share in it. Several warriors believe that if the women do have such a weapon they would be fully justified in taking it, women being too weak to handle such power.
The rest of the story is told in flashbacks from Stavia's meeting with Dawid, most of the book focusing on Stavia's romance with Chernon, a young warrior. As Stavia struggles with her feelings for Chernon and her respect for the ordinances, which forbid much of what he asks her to do. As certain events come to pass, Stavia finally learns why women's country is the way it is.
The twist, when it finally comes, is amazing, and completely unexpected, despite the many hints and foreshadowing's in the book. I bullied my boyfriend into reading this, and I had to try so hard to stop myself from blurting it out before he got to it.
The characters are amazing, and have a great amount of depth. The servitor who lives with Stavia's family, Joshua, although presented as merely background for most of the book, is, in fact, one of the most important characters. The amount of depth and emotion given to him is incredible, and allows the reader to empathize with him perfectly.
Although this book is as old as I am, it doesn't seem at all dated to me. Despite being one of Tepper's shorter books, at just over three hundred pages, it still has a great amount of depth and plot for you to mull over.
The contrast of societies is also fascinating. Halfway through the book, another society, separate from women's country is introduced. This is more patriarchal, and practices bigamy, despite a shortage of females (due to a practice of female infanticide a decade or so before). The differences and similarities between this society, women's country, and our own world give you a lot to think about. No society is perfect of course, but the thought of something completely different is interesting.
This is a feminist book, so, naturally, many of the villains of the piece are male while many of the heroes are, in fact, heroines. Some characters, such as Joshua provide balance, but the book is essentially about the difference between stereotypical male and female values.
In summary, this book is amazing. I love Sheri S. Tepper's work, and although this isn't my favourite, it does have a certain charm all its own.
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