Lilith Iyapo

Lilith is the novel’s central protagonist. A strong, Black woman, she finds herself held captive by a group of strange extraterrestrials and is informed that she has been selected to head a group of humans that are set to repopulate Earth.

Lilith is strong in her convictions, and is initially extremely reluctant to work with the aliens that are holding her captive, convinced that the foundation of humanity is threatened by the Oankali plan to interbreed with their human captives. She is forthright and bold, unafraid of breaking the rules established for her by her captors and also committed to the idea of eventually escaping from their captivity once the humans have been safely returned to Earth. This initial reluctance and stubbornness does not earn her favors with many of her captors, but they gradually come to believe that these qualities will make her a good...