Books like The Cleft by Doris Lessing

Doris Lessing's novel imagines a remote, Edenic valley where women have lived for generations, free from jealousy and rivalry. Children are born by moon cycles, always female, and the culture has no need for men. When a strange new child—a boy—is born, the harmony of the community is disrupted. The Clefts, initially awestruck, begin to fear and reject the unfamiliar males, who they call Squirts, and even sacrifice them. Yet the boys survive, aided by eagles that were sent to kill them, and thrive on the opposite side of the mountain. A curious young Cleft named Maire ventures beyond the divide and discovers the survival of these males, forcing the community to confront the possibility of coexistence and the repercussions of exclusion. The story explores how men and women, though similar, possess distinct qualities that shape society, and examines the impact of gender on every facet of life.

First publish date: July 31, 2007