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

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes

5.0

The most beautiful book I have read in a long time. On its surface, it's a satisfactory adventure story about one girl imprisoned among 39 adult women, all being held captive without understanding why. It's written from the girl's perspective when she is an old woman as her last testament before she dies, left to be found by a wanderer -- if any still live. The girl has no knowledge of life outside of the underground bunker, so she asks the others to recall what painful fragments they carry in their memories. 

You won't get the answers you want from this book.
The catastrophe that led to the bunker situation is never explained. How power is supplied to all of these bunkers is never explained. Why these women were set free, what the men did or didn't know about the situation... it's all left a mystery.


Underneath the surface is a moving text that explores femininity, girlhood, emotion, love, grief, resilience, and so much more. I can't wait to read this book again. 
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