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The Kanshou (Earthkeep)

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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.

what will happen to our specie if the destruction of our planet continues? can the earth be saved? how? this remarkable book links ecology and patriarchy to explore issues of violence and power and human's attempt to save the specie and the planet; but it goes further than that, much further - in a patriarchal world it is near impossible to imagine what women's culture would look like; this book visualizes a world that is breathtakingly original and inspiring; a must read for women and environmentalists alike, men will also benefit from its feminist perspective on our fragile planet blue