The unbound bookclub Reads: I who have never known men.

I Who Have Never Known Men — Jacqueline Harpman

What does it mean to be human when everything that makes us human has been taken away?

Deep beneath the earth, forty women are held captive in a mysterious underground prison. Watched by silent guards, they have no understanding of why they’re there or what exists beyond the walls.

Among them is a young girl who has never known freedom, never experienced the outside world, and never lived the life the other women can only remember.

As she questions the only existence she’s ever known, we’re drawn into a haunting exploration of isolation, identity, survival, and the human desire for connection.

This isn’t your typical dystopian novel. It’s unsettling, deeply philosophical, and filled with questions that may stay with you long after the final page.

For November, we’re stepping into a story that challenges everything we think we know about freedom, purpose, and what it truly means to be alive.

CONTENT & TRIGGER WARNINGS

This book contains mature and potentially distressing themes, including imprisonment and prolonged confinement, psychological trauma, physical abuse and violence, torture, death and grief, suicide and suicidal ideation, assisted death, serious illness, bodily autonomy, and references to sexuality and sexual development.

Please prioritize your well-being while reading.

Our November question: If everything you knew about the world disappeared, what would give your life meaning?

Happy reading, book club!