Imagine a society in which marriage doesn’t exist, women run the community, inheritance is through the female line, and women make business decisions. Such a place really exists (although Western influences are now encroaching on it) in a distant region of China near the border of Tibet. The people are the Mosuo, and this memoir (an autobiography that reads like a novel) paints a vivid picture of their traditional lifestyle. The author chose to leave her home, to experience the world outside – and what a shock it was! This woman’s story is believable because she is imperfect, but not a victim. A unique glimpse into a culture about which most of us know nothing about… it raises many questions about how our own lives might have been different if women had always been in charge.
Review by Robin Winston
This book was read and enjoyed by the Lev Eisha Book Club