It began as protections for women, but soon the lives of women became more and more controlled, and anyone who protested either disappeared or had a sudden change of heart. Women left the cities for the wilderness to live their lives as they chose, but sometimes they were hunted, captured, raped, or killed. Now, years later, women's culture in the wilderness blossoms in balance with nature, and they've developed amazing abilities of flight and telepathy. The threat from the governing men of the cities seems to be growing, and the women struggle to decide their path as the gentles (those men dedicated to nonviolence, especially against women) contact them to assist. But can the gentles be trusted, even though they're men? "Wanderground" is a classic utopian story of interconnected tales, as well as a potent novel about the power of women as a group. With a force equal to such feminist classics as "The Handmaid's Tale" and "Woman on the Edge of Time", "Wanderground" inspires us to envision a world lived in harmony with each other and with the world, and shows us the possibilities of reward in such an environment.

Gearhart continues themes she developed in "The Wanderground" in this thought-provoking beginning to her trilogy. At the same time that she develops an exciting narrative, she raises all sorts of questions about the strategies we should use to create social change. She encourages us to think in new ways about our planet, gender, and communication.

In the not-so-distant future, a series of ecological changes have caused all the animals to die and the population of Earth to dwindle, leaving the ratio of women to men about twelve to one. The Earth (now called Little Blue) has restructured with this new governing force, and the peacekeeping group, called the Kanshoubu, also assist in running the prisons. Since the bulk of the prison population is male, there is a growing worldwide movement to use the prisoners to find the biological cause of violence, but there is also a group advocating against this as well. When three of the world's large prisons stage revolts, the Kanshoubu must quell the violence, even as both sides of the debate continue. In this first book in a new trilogy, Gearhart explores the nature of violence in humanity and the different ways in which each sex deal with it. Told through a series of intriguing characters, this thought-provoking story challenges the reader's own conceptions of violence, leaving the reader to decide alone on which side of the debate to land. While there are similarities with such works as Jean Stewart's Isis series, Gearhart's new trilogy is less of a focus on individuals than on humanity as a whole.

Continuing the fascinating ecofeminist and philosophical trilogy, "The Magister" takes place about a year after the first book, "The Kanshou". The remaining human population now finds itself as a species with the possibility of extinction as children across the world are dying, seemingly at will. Zude, one of the three magisters who oversee the global government and the peacekeeping Kanshou, finds herself at a point in human history where the next decision is pivotal. With her exlover Jez, she comes to the realization that maybe it is time to dismantle the Kanshou and the various government agencies, what with the threat of humanity's extermination, and of course, this is met with resistance. How can the two women convince the world that it's the right thing to do, when the world as they know it is out of control? Ultimately, a new ability called 'going shy' (not unlike teleportation) leads to a startling discovery and a new hope for our planet Little Blue, if only people can embrace it in time. Unlike "The Kanshou", Gearhart's focus here is mostly on Zude and Jez, through whom we envision a jarring, yet intriguing world. While still heavy with politics and philosophy, "The Magister" is also quite compelling as it challenges readers to see life in new ways. I can hardly wait to see where the third book, "The Steward", takes us!

This book is full of lies and misinformation. I cannot believe there are creatures in this world that advocate this kinds of things. It is just plain disgusting.

This is a book for all women and all men who are willing to expand their viewpoints of the world around them. These loosely linked stories follow a path towards realization reuniting men and women in one world of understanding. Well written and thought provoking.

A co-worker loaned me her copy of Wanderground over a year ago. After reading a chapter or two it was layed aside. Apparently I wasn't ready to read it at that point in my life. Last month I found the book's purple and lavender cover winking at me from a pile of books. This time I was ready. I devored the stories.
I found Wanderground to be a fascinating vision of what women could be. Although there is a great deal of underlying justified anger in many of the stories, the loving environment in which the characters enfold themselves and each other demonstrate the potential for women that our cultural myths deny them.
Sally Gearhart touches not only on what women could be, but predates Danial Quinn's "Ismael" by twenty years in calling attention to western culture's wasteful and destructive use of the earth's resourses.
I found the respect for life, plant and animal, to be very compelling. It is too easy to forget in our pre-packaged shrink-wrapped consumer lives where our food comes from -- that a spirit was deprived of its host so that we may continue to live, for now.
For me, the most moving chapter was the last one, where an elderly woman and her goat prepare to pass on. I found myself in tears at the end of the book.
Thank you Sally, for sharing your vision.
-- Pat Henderson