I who have never known men: Book Review

   I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman is the type of book that will stick with me for the rest of my life. 

    This novel is from the perspective of an unnamed narrator. She is a young girl trapped in a cage with 39 other women, where she has been for as long as she can remember. It follows her journey growing up in this unusual environment surrounded by strangers who are just as in the dark as she is. 

    The second half of the story follows their lives post-escape from their cell. Instead of leaving and finding the answers they so desperately sought, they are ultimately left with more questions than before. Unanswered questions are a recurring and major theme in this read. If you are the type who doesn't deal well with obscurity and loose ends, I highly suggest avoiding this book. 

I Who Have Never Known Men

     Jacqueline Harpman originally wrote this story in French, and it was the first of her dozens of novels to be translated into English. It was published in 1995, originally titled Mistress of Silence. Both titles, I feel, suit this book appropriately. 

    A reviewer named Emily May on Goodreads said, "It sits outside of genre, outside of time, outside of reality as we know, introducing the reader to a world unfamiliar to both them and the unnamed protagonist. The result is a palpable feeling of winder and loneliness."

     I'm not sure I could have said it better myself. For me, this was a five out of five star read. The only reason I ever put it down was when life got in the way. 

  My usual reads before this one were easy-to-process fantasy. The type that literature-snobs might turn their nose up towards. I read as an escape from the chaos of life, so often times the goal is to let my brain turn to whimsical mush inside my head. 

    I think that's why I loved reading this so much. It was so staunchly different than what I'm used to and I enjoyed the change of pace.  

    "For a very long time, the days went by, each one just like the day before, then I began to think, and everything changed" (p 6).

    Harpman explores womanhood and community in a way that is both devastating and powerful. She examines it from a perspective that is unusual, yet relatable. The young girl watches as women make the most out of their unprecedented situation. 

I Who Have Never Known Men
Original French Cover

     We see a power structure amongst the group. There are women that appear to lead, and others who quarrel. Its a confined version of the reality we know. In a complex way, their reality, seeming extremely unrealistic to the reader, can actually be quite relatable if given enough thought. 

    The young girl reflects emotions that many young women experience, even if they're not trapped in a bunker. She feels rebellious, separating herself from the others. She watches them from afar. This is something I myself relate too, often watching the world from the outside when I was younger. 

    I was, and still am, the main 'thinker' of my family. I am the daughter/sister who strayed from the train of thought my family lives in. I see myself in the unknown narrator. I feel for her longing for knowledge. For her questioning of reality.

    This is why I loved reading this book. The author had the ability to connect me with a character for whom I don't even have a name. 

    I will hold this reading experience with me for years to come.

 

Inken (Engel) Willis Obituary

Inken (Engel) Willis died peacefully Dec. 31 2019, at 78-years-old in her home in San Antonio, Texas. She was born March 8 1941, in Witten, Germany to Agnes Engel and Dr. Heinz. When she was just 18-years-old she came to the United States and met her husband and the love of her life, Leslie Elbert Willis Jr. She spent the majority of her adult life as a resident of San Antonio. 

Inken (Engel) Willis

Willis was a fervent home maker. She had six wildly different children whom she spent her time raising into incredible adults. Along with her full-time job as a mother, she volunteered as an advocate for children that were victims of abuse for numerous years. Once her children moved out of the house, she discovered her passion for traveling and playing tennis. Willis was extremely talented on the tennis court and played frequently. She never limited her travels, experiencing every part of the world she possibly could.

Willis was lovingly known as Omi by her grand children, and ultimately everyone who knew her. Omi is a term often used for "grandmother" in the German language. This is just one example of many as to the way people felt about Willis. Willis was a friend to all, the life of every party. She was a matter-of-fact, headstrong woman, German from the bottom of her heart. She was ardently stuck in the habits of her life. Willis was compassionate and soft-spoken. She had a great sense of humor. She loved happy hour margaritas and betting on her favorite horse at the racetrack. Next to pulling a slot machine in Las Vegas, her greatest love was spending time with her children, grandchildren and numerous friends.

Willis is preceded by her parents, her husband Leslie Elbert Willis Jr., stepdaughter Beverly Ann Culbreath and her sisters, Heide Tibbs and Antje Kecskes. 

Willis with some of her children
and grandchildren    

 

She is survived by her four children: Lee (Lorie) Willis, Heide Langdon, Christina Komet and Kevin (Kelly) Willis, as well as her stepdaughter Cindy Blanks. She is also survived by 15 grandchildren: Colton, Mason, Wyatt and Kylee Willis and Sarah, Alexander and Evan Komet; Russell Blanks, Kara Irvine, BJ Gabbert, Inken Meyers and Addison Isaacs; Drew, Parker and Klaire Willis. 

Willis grew up as a member of the Lutheran Faith. She has consistently loved the lord. In recent years, Willis spent time at the Community Bible Church in San Antonio, making friends and worshipping. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Child Advocates San Antonio. A private family service will be followed by a Celebration of Life.

BookTok

I was always the little girl who stayed up way past her bedtime reading novels late into the night. If I was grumpy the next morning on the way to school, my parents instantly knew what I spent the night doing. 

 

It was never out of rebellion. I simply was unable to remove myself from a book once I got into it. Unfortunately that bookworm trait didn't last long. By middle school, I had lost the drive to read entirely. 

 

It wasn't until the summer before my first year at university that I picked up a book again. I never looked back from then on. 

 

                                                    The Gazelle
Illustrated by Alya Al Zaabi

This revival was all thanks to one community on social media: BookTok. BookTok is a subcommunity on the app TikTok. The #Booktok has 47.8 million videos under it. 

Creators will post book reviews, book hauls, bookshelf setups and everything in between. 

 

There are creators for every genre you can imagine, but some have a heavier base than others. Romance and fantasy are two that BookTok has a heavy focus on. Some creators have even turned the phrase "Romantasy," a combination of the two, into a commonly used term. 

 

@Mariannasreads, is an influencer with 450,000 followers. Her bio says she "enjoys screaming about words on paper," something most of her followers can relate to. 

 

BookTokers, as those content creators are often referred to, have follower counts that range from a few thousand to hundreds of thousands. @Cassiesbooktok has gained 3.1 million followers by posting humorous content relatable to fellow readers.  These are just two examples of the hundreds of creators who have gained a following from their reading related posts. 

 

"With BookTok, you kind of feel like you have your friends at your fingertips," said author Tessa Bailey. 

                                                    The Guardian
Screenshots from @alifeofliterature,
@emilymiahreads and @kateslibrary

These videos offer a place for people with similar interests to engage with each other with a few swipes of a finger. Readers can share excitement for new releases, express disappointment in endings or theorize about what certain books mean.

"Part of what makes BookTok special is that readers' taste and enthusiasm determine what goes viral on the algorithm," said Anahy Diaz, a journalist at Today. 

The positive effect of BookTok reaches past those directly involved. Alongside the rise of the trend came a rise in sales.

 

According to Today News, data by NPD BookScan claims 825 million books were sold in the U.S. in 2021, around the time BookTok took flight, which is the highest number the company has seen since 2004.

 

Barnes & Noble even has a section in store and online, for "the most popular TikTok books." This is evidence of the power this community has. 

 

BookTok is a special example of how social media, regardless of its faults, can often bring people together.

 

                                                            WHNT
Display at Barnes & Noble
located in Hunstville, Alabama

 

I believe I am lucky to have found this side of the application. I have had the opportunity to read many fascinating stories and hear various points of view that I otherwise wouldn't have found. So, I am one of the many readers thankful for BookTok.