Native Tongue, Suzette Haden Elgin
Native Tongue, Suzette Haden Elgin
List: $24.99 | Sale: $17.50
Club: $12.49

Native Tongue

Author: Suzette Haden Elgin

Narrator: Amy Landon

Unabridged: 13 hr 42 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 07/16/2019


Synopsis

Originally published in 1984, this classic dystopian trilogy is a testament to the power of language and women's collective action.

In 2205, the Nineteenth Amendment has long been repealed and women are only valued for their utility. The Earth's economy depends on an insular group of linguists who "breed" women to be perfect interstellar translators until they are sent to the Barren House to await death. But instead, these women are slowly creating a language of their own to make resistance possible. Ignorant to this brewing revolution, Nazareth, a brilliant linguist, and Michaela, a servant, both seek emancipation in their own ways. But their personal rebellions risk exposing the secret language, and threaten the possibility of freedom for all.

About Suzette Haden Elgin

Suzette Haden Elgin (born Patricia Anne Wilkins; 1936-2015) was an American science fiction author. She founded the Science Fiction Poetry Association, and was considered an important figure in the field of science fiction constructed languages. Elgin was also a linguist; she published nonfiction, of which the best-known is the Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense series.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Wealhtheow on July 02, 2009

Absolutely excellent. I know The Handmaid's Tale gets more press and praise, but this is a far more realistic and chilling misogynist future. There's really so much meaty stuff, and I'm so far from eloquent, that I'll just say read it and leave it at that.......more

Goodreads review by Althea on November 18, 2015

Read for book club. OK, first off: Suzette Haden Elgin is clearly a separatist, who believed that both women and men would be better off apart from each other. (Not that she seemed to care much about what might be better for men.) I do not agree with this premise (not even a tiny bit) - but I'm not de......more

Goodreads review by Mary on July 20, 2012

Women have no rights and are the property of men. Aliens communicate with humans through the families of the linguist 'Lines', who have a monopoly on learning Alien languages. The women of the Lines, as restricted and patronized as any other women, have developed a secret language for women only. If......more

Goodreads review by Kaila on December 25, 2022

Reread, July 27, 2021 I remembered the main premise - women regain their power by creating a language - but could not have told you anything else about the story. Upon rereading, I can see why. The characters are not memorable and there is little world-building. Most of the "character development" is......more