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I Who Have Never Known Men  By  cover art

I Who Have Never Known Men

By: Jacqueline Harpman
Narrated by: Nikki Massoud
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Publisher's summary

Deep underground, 39 women live imprisoned in a cage. Watched over by guards, the women have no memory of how they got there, no notion of time, and only a vague recollection of their lives before.

As the burn of electric light merges day into night and numberless years pass, a young girl—the 40th prisoner—sits alone and outcast in the corner. Soon she will show herself to be the key to the others' escape and survival in the strange world that awaits them above ground.

Informed by her background as a psychoanalyst and her youth in exile, I Who Have Never Known Men is a haunting, heartbreaking post-apocalyptic novel of female friendship and intimacy, and the lengths people will go to maintain their humanity in the face of devastation. Back in print for the first time since 1997, Jacqueline Harpman’s modern classic is an important addition to the growing canon of feminist speculative literature.

I Who Have Never Known Men is expertfully read by Nikki Massoud, an Audible favorite.

©1997, 2019 Ros Schwartz (P)2023 Echo Point Books & Media, LLC

What listeners say about I Who Have Never Known Men

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Strangely human

This book is a bit weird. It’s a story about what makes us human and how we survive if everything we believe makes us human was taken away. I wanted to find out more about was happening but that wasn’t the point the author wanted to make

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Satisfying in its simplicity

I enjoy following the narrator and found myself hoping for change along side her. I was more satisfied with the end than I had thought I would be, and felt as though the story was complete while lacking much conclusion. The world was creative and the book surprisingly captivating.

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Great book!!!!

I 100% loved it and you will too. This is such a great story. Come take a journey with this young girl. Never heard somthing like this before it was so good.

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Absolutely gripping

This is a wonderful book. There are no answers to big questions, just a study of what it is to be human.

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Different in a good way

The narrator does a wonderful job, and it was almost impossible to stop listening. Very thought provoking and sad.

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Fascinating!

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book just from the description, however, it is incredibly unique. I finished it in one sitting! 

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outstanding

I have no word, nor do I want them. beautiful just beautiful. you owe it to yourself to read this book.

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Amazing!

Great story that makes you think while it continues to reveal new and unknown circumstances.

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Listener received this title free

WOW, a powerful performance and an incredible book

Nikki Massoud's narration of I Who Have Never Known Men is emotional, tender, engaging, and just really good. She makes it easy to listen to this frankly, at times, bleak and hopeless text. She imbues a lot of energy and ethos into her narration, she's very compelling and skilled. Really good separation between how she narrated different characters without ever going overboard or overly dramatic.

The book is incredible. It's simultaneously beautiful and tragic, bleak and hopeful, heart-wrenching and inspiring. The duality of these themes and feelings is communicated in such a fascinating and excellent performance of a complex, unique piece of fiction.

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Very interesting book

I would have like a better ending but overall it was pretty good. I really liked the details and just the mystery of it. I kept reading and couldn’t seem to put the book down because I just wanted to know what would happen.

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