In the Light of Sigma Draconis (A Woman of the Iron People, Part 1)

the long version

The first half of the hardback originally published as "A Woman of the Iron People" Embarking from an ecologically ruined Earth, the First Interstellar Expedition sets out to find a planet suitable for human exploration. In the light of the star Sigma Draconis they discover a primitive society newly born—where the evolutionary process has divided the sexes...where violence, fear and superstition reign. Driven by conscience and curiosity, Lixia, an earthborn anthropologist, follows an extraordinary female outcast called Nia across a strange and perilous world. And together they will bear witness to the dawn of a new civilization—and forge a remarkable bond of friendship that could ultimately influence, and perhaps devastate, a fragile, emerging culture.