Before War: On Marriage, Hierarchy, and Our Matriarchal Origins by Elisha Daeva

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.

This is a fascinating look at women's place in history. Social scientists and anthropologists interpret the scant evidence of history, since there are no survivors from various cultures. We have DNA samples, leftovers of writing and hospitality, worship, migration patterns, and settlements. A researcher's job is not just to read the evidence but to interpret it. Therefore, depending on the philosophy (and culture and religion) of the researcher, the findings can be diverse and exciting. 

This volume interprets history through the lens of feminism and anti-patriarchy. Daeva present a well-documented trail of evidence, previous research, and current speculation. While I disagree with most of the author's conclusions, this book presents a wealth of research in anthropology, humanities, historical religious, and mythology.

Dive in if you dare - and see where she takes you. I'm the mom of three fine grown sons and a wonderful daughter. It's been clear from their first yelp that men and women are created differently and those differences show up from the time of birth. Whether our adult kids would agree with each other and Daeva on the evidence dissected and reworked, is not up for debate. The window you look out of determines your view of the street, no doubt about it.