In this dystopian science fiction classic set in a world where women have no rights, the patriarchy sends a covert female agent toĀ take down the resistance.Ā
In the second entry of the Native Tongue trilogy, the time has come for LĆ”adanāthe secret language created to resist an oppressive patriarchyāto empower womankind worldwide. To expand the language's reach, female linguists translate the Bible into LĆ”adan, and a group of Roman Catholic nuns are tasked to spread the language. But when outraged priests detect their sabotage, they send a double agent to infiltrate and destroy the movement from the insideā¦
Originally published in the 1980s, the Native Tongue trilogy is a classic dystopian tale:Ā a testament to the power of language and women's collective action.Ā
"This angry feminist text is also an exemplary experiment in speculative fiction, deftly and implacably pursuing both a scientific hypothesis and an ideological hypothesis through all their social, moral, and emotional implications."āUrsula K. Le Guin
"Less well known thanĀ The Handmaid's TaleĀ but just as apocalyptic in their visionā¦ Native TongueĀ along with its sequelĀ The Judas RoseĀ . . . record female tribulations in a world whereā¦women have no public rights at all. Elgin's heroines do, however, have one set of weaponsāwords of their own."āSandra M. Gilbert and Susan Gubar,Ā New York Times Book Review
"AĀ pioneering feminist experiment."ā Literary Hub
"A welcome reminder of the feminist legacies of science fictionā¦Explores the power of speech, agency, and subversion in a work that is as gripping, troubling, and meaningful today as it has ever been."ā Publishers WeeklyĀ (starred review)