I Who Have Never Known Men - Jacqueline Harpman

Hi everyone,

Our selection for July is short but mighty story, and I'm here for it. It has been rediscovered recently on BookTok and is being compared to books like Margaret Atwood’s A Handmaid's Tale and Octavia E Butler’s Parable series. Translated from French and published in 1995 then slipped into relative obscurity. The themes are intense but I'm told that the storytelling and the message are well worth it. If you're interested in learning more about the book's resurgence, check out this great Guardian article.

Book of the Month
I Who Have Never Known Men - Jacqueline Harpman (1995)

From Goodreads, I Who Have Never Known Men is a story about a group of women imprisoned and guarded. The women have no memory of how they got there, no notion of time, and only a vague recollection of their lives before. What comes next is a story of a young woman's fight to uncover her past and make her own future. People are divided on the story's finer points, but just about everyone I've read has echoed What Is Quinn Reading's review, saying they're grateful for the read and will carry it with them. At approximately 190 pages, I'm glad you'all feel that we should dive in and investigate this kind of story.

To join a Book Club meeting, all you will need is YOURSELF. If you haven’t had a chance to finish the book, we still would love for you to join us in the discussion.

Not able to join us in person for events? The Sci Fi Book Club is on Discord. Join us and keep the conversation going.