I Who Have Never Known Men
I was human after all book club discussion link and questions
Discussion Questions
What are your overall impressions of the book?
What role does “the child’s” body play in her awakening into knowledge?
Why do you think “the child” is never given a name?
Where do you think the book takes place? What do you think happened to the women? Were you frustrated by the lack of a clear explanation?
This book club is titled after a sentence in this book. When grieving Athena, “the child” (now an old woman) writes “I was forced to acknowledge too late, far too late, that I too had loved, that I was capable of suffering, and that I was human after all.” What does she mean by this?
What role does reading and writing play in the narrative?
What does the book tell us about freedom and captivity? Are the women free once they’ve left the cage?
Why do you think the book is titled “I Who Have Never Known Men?”
What role do animals play in the book? Is there a resonance between the vast stores of meat and the incarcerated women?
What role does sexuality play in the book?
I can’t wait to discuss this book with you! We will also be talking about developing our reading practices. Feel free to join even if you didn’t read it or didn’t finish.
Our next meeting will be the 25th of January at 5pm. We will be discussing Pieces You’ll Never Get Back by Samina Ali.
