A novel
In a female-ruled society, she’s trapped in an ancient struggle between the sexes. Will she be the spark to restore unity?
FIRST CAME LILITH, EQUAL TO ADAM.
In ancient Uruk, High Priestess Lilith heads a sophisticated female-ruled society built on sacred ritual and erotic freedom. Yet beneath this world she is trapped in a profound internal struggle. Haunted by the childhood loss of her brother to a system that demands the servitude and suppression of men and boys, she secretly yearns for civil change.
A secret prophecy warns that unchecked male power will one day bring chaos and destruction... a fear her temple uses to justify that very system. Lilith believes balance is the only path forward, a radical vision that tests the fears and beliefs of her priestesshood.
When Adam arrives - a desert gem trader warning of a mounting male-led revolt while speaking of harmony - Lilith acts from the truth in her heart. She extends unprecedented trust across the divide. What follows is a cascade of desire, betrayal and raw human consequence that threatens to erase her name from history, or tarnish it.
I Am Lilith steps far enough back to show the entire pendulum swing between masculine and feminine through intense, grounded intimacy. It offers a liberating new context for the relationship and societal struggles we still live with today - not by fighting the shadow, but restructuring the story itself.
Perfect for readers seeking psychological, emotional and spiritual depth, and fans of Circe by Madeline Miller, The Red Tent by Anita Diamant, and The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley.
A novel for those on the deep dive, going beyond the familiar myths of refusal and revenge into the blueprint of the feminine-masculine dynamic. Drawn from Sumerian mythology, spiritual frameworks, and the great astrological cycles, I Am Lilith uncovers a starting new view of unity.
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“As an astrologer, I'm intrigued that 6,000 years ago—when Adam and Eve apparently existed—marks a point in an astrological cycle when a matriarchal era became an equally tyrannical patriarchal era, followed by a fated reunion. That era of unification begins now.”
- Melanie Dufty
Reviews
Jenna Lambert-Porter, Perth, Western Australia
This novel is truly one of the most brilliant I’ve ever read - some moments more outrageous and brilliant than I could have ever dreamed up, while also absolutely perfect for the higher meaning of the story.
I was awed and enthralled by the complexity and the incredibly profound messages throughout.
I Am Lilith is told in the honest and bold voice of Lilith, her story largely unknown...until now. Words barely do justice to the feeling and depth behind this creation. There’s just so much to love.
Libby Turner, NSW, Australia
An epic re-imagining of the story of Lilith, this is a moving work with a profound message of acceptance and balance.
Breathtaking and heartbreaking in equal measure, I Am Lilith will grip you until the last page and stay with you long after.
This novel is on a huge scale that somehow still manages to be wonderfully and sometimes terribly intimate. The ceremonial set pieces are breathtaking, especially on my second read when I fully understood what was being invoked and why.
On the smaller scale, the characterisations and interpersonal relationships are beautifully realised and often heartbreakingly real. Your characters made me laugh and made me cry, and most of all, you made me care deeply about what they thought, felt and did.
Janina Norton, London, England
I challenge you to read this book and forget it…I simply cannot. Many months on, the characters and events remain vividly with me.
I Am Lilith is tantalising and profound in equal measure. It is layered with mystery and meaning well beyond its captivating plot. Melanie has shared a story here that is so refreshingly different to any other I've read and it storms confidently through the traditional narratives we have held about women and men.
This is a wild tale that is sensual, raw, brave and confronting. The fact it will make its grand entrance into the world now, at a unprecedented time of major shifts in our collective consciousness, seems almost by perfect design to me. This is a story you simply must read.
Anita Benetts, Perth, Western Australia
When you pick up a book and want it to move you, be relevant or at the very least entertain you… I Am Lilith did this for me and so much more.
It awoke something deep within that I can no longer ignore.
In the midst of shifting balances of feminine and masculine power, I hope that reading this wonderful and evocative story will have the same profound impact on you as it did me.
From the perspective of a woman time has distorted and vilified, I Am Lilith is heartbreaking, yet filled with hope.
Gina Witt, New York, USA
I Am Lilith is an absolute page-turner that is entertaining and thought provoking with a deep and powerful message of unity.
The characters come alive and are so well developed, you feel like you know them. I felt transported to another place and time in the beautiful scenes detailed in the story.
This is an emotive read filled with sensuality, humor, intrigue and betrayal, all played out with such depth to give you a whole new perspective on Lilith as we have known her, until now.
Marie Hoy, Perth, Western Australia
I absolutely love this novel. I was torn between racing to uncover the narrative, while re-reading chapters for the delight of the writing and the depth of meaning.
At once reverential and hilarious, Melanie's heart-centred writing provides insights into the most intimate aspects of female relationships and rites. In fact, the moments of Lilith and her squad together are some of the greatest moments in this novel.
I Am Lilith depicts a civilisation ruled by women, featuring some figures with whom we are familiar and, fascinatingly, through these characters we are challenged to re-consider our own, and broader societal concepts of gender.
You will want to gift this book to all your friends just so you can talk about it and discover more layers of meaning in the content.