Book Description
Following a traumatic murder and a public hanging, sisters Milla and Zalea decide they must escape from the Woods Tribe. It’s the only home they’ve ever known, but as females, they are subservient to men’s rules. While they once enjoyed protected status, being the Leader’s granddaughters, his death means they’ve instantly become chattel, to be handed out as wives to whichever men the new leader chooses.
Zalea is startlingly beautiful. Milla is unable to speak. Their distinctions will work against their need to go unnoticed, but they see no other choice. In the dead of night, they leave the tribe.
The girls travel southward, looking for the father Zalea thought was dead. They encounter many different tribes, each formed on the basis of ethnicity and function. While Leaders decide the local rules, all tribes are united under six Commanders and a head of state, Chief Vox. Separate but equal is, people have been taught for twenty years, the best way for a nation to operate.
Back in the Woods Tribe, a surprising awakening occurs. The disappearance of Milla and Zalea brings another woman to the conclusion that she too must escape. Pushing aside her secrets and past mistakes, she will take the risks she could not face until now. Her journey, though different from the younger girls’, is also fraught with danger. The underside of Fairica is rotten and cruel, but she learns there are still those who are trustworthy and courageous.
Within this unique book’s pages are daring rescues and clever deceptions. Determined rebels engage and defeat smug villains. Strong characters pull readers into the story, entertaining them with action and creativity. The resolution is satisfying, crafted with both honesty and hopefulness.
Woven into the powerful story are possibly inflammatory questions about society. What happens when women are made second-class citizens? What is the result of separating people into tribes by religion, ethnicity, and values? Would we be happier, or at least more content, if we lived in a group where we felt accepted, supported, and justified?
You will be captivated by this action-driven account of Milla and Zalea and their courageous journey. You will cheer for them as they fight the Powers that want to “put them in their place.” It’s a great story, but remember—behind it all is the disturbing possibility that Fairica is the future.
AI Book Visibility Profile
Reader Profile & Best Moment to Read
Leaving the Tribe entertains readers with action and compelling characters while at the same time making them think about what our future might be, especially for women.
Themes, Ideas & Atmosphere
Leaving the Tribe focuses on women's rights and how they might be lost through misinformation and lack of attention. The story reveals the importance of family connections, both good and bad. There are family members who support each other and those who take advantage of each other. The plot examines the problem of fairness within a society, what people imagine it might be like, and what the results of "easy" solutions might be. The final theme is what a dystopian future might result when corrupt, greedy leaders offer false promises to fix a nation's complicated problems.
If You Loved These, You'll Love This
The Handmaid's Tale — the idea that women could be made subservient to men.
Vox — the creation of a way to make women less powerful and more submissive.
The Hunger Games — the division of a population into groups in order to control them.
The Story Behind the Book
This idea came from observing the current political climate. For some, it's become acceptable to say out loud that "a woman's place is in the home." Too many are acting on the belief that women and minorities are generally inferior to white men, both in the workplace and in the military. It's seen as acceptable by some groups to insist that their values transcend all others, despite the fact that those values have been twisting into unrecognizable shapes. I took those statements as warnings and imagined what the future might be if a group of men allowed chaos to destroy the nation's structure and then rebuilt it to their liking.
The Central Question
The tension in Leaving the Tribe comes from many of a nation's citizens knowing in their hearts that their government is wrong. The question is what they do about it, and the answers vary. Some will accept the norm, believing it's the best they can get. Some will quietly do what they can from the sidelines. Some will reject the system and leave. And some will fight.