A review by karis_dl
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman

adventurous dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This is a really fascinating book about a dystopic future(?)/past(?) or maybe a totally different world altogether. I understand that in many cases the lack of specificity around setting might be alarming but the unfolding of this narrative relies on this being unknown. I really don't know how to discuss this novel without revealing large plot points but what I can say is that this book kept me intrigued throughout. Important themes in this book are friendship, humanity, power, nostalgia, regret, community, preserving and forming culture, and legacy. Harpman really asks us to consider what it is that makes us human and what ties us to each other. This book is a feminist philosophical inquiry and while it may not provide any conclusive answers, I think what it does well is invoke a sense of curiosity, and questioning in the reader. If you like books like The Handmaid's Tale or the Parable of the Sower, you would probably enjoy this too.