This is a book about humanity. About what it means to be human even when you aren’t even sure you’re human yourself. The unnamed narrator is as uncertain of her origin as she is of her destiny, but she still hopes, she still wants, she still grows. There is a hefty amount of ambiguity, but its purpose to the novel and its characters is more important. I’d argue it’s what makes the book so impactful. If I could give this book a thousand stars—no, a million—I would. It’s one of those books I tell everyone about, and one that I think about all the time.
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman, (List Price: $16.95, Transit Books, 9781945492600, May 2022)
Reviewed by Tamara, M. Judson Booksellers in Greenville, South Carolina