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thatbookisonfiyah 's review for:
I Who Have Never Known Men
by Jacqueline Harpman
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
The narrator recounts the experiences of 39 women and one girl who are held hostage in an underground prison. This dystopian tale is told from the perspective of the young girl, she who has never known men, her experiences, and perspectives on what she has never lived and cannot relate with the older women who remember lives before their imprisonment. A wonderful story about coming of age, how one person's perspective is different from everyone else, and how one might live a life alone even while surrounded by 39 other people. Fascinating, haunting, and true to life. This story was originally published in 1995 in Europe (France maybe?) and never found a wide market, but should be more famous and in conversations/comparisons with The Handmaid's Tale or Lord of the Flies - what defines humanity, what drives and motivates a civilization, and how does a culture establish itself? Highly recommended! The audiobook is also very well done.