Jacqueline Harpman, a Belgian Jewish writer, Holocaust survivor, and psychoanalyst, is experiencing a literary resurgence nearly three decades after the release of her 1995 novel I Who Have Never Known Men. The haunting post-apocalyptic story, centered around a nameless girl imprisoned underground with 39 other women, has gained renewed global interest in 2025, especially among younger readers on TikTok.

Born in 1929 in Brussels to a Jewish family that fled to Casablanca during WWII, Harpman returned to Belgium after the war and eventually pursued careers in both literature and psychoanalysis. Her work often explores existential themes like isolation, memory, and the human psyche, shaped profoundly by her identity as a Jewish woman and survivor of wartime displacement.

Though the book was initially overlooked by critics, its stark imagery and emotional weight have now captured a new generation. Readers are drawing parallels between Harpman’s Holocaust-infused worldview and her protagonist’s eerie imprisonment, offering deep insights into trauma, power, and survival in an uncertain world.

In today’s literary revival, I Who Have Never Known Men stands not only as a gripping dystopian tale but also as a reflection of Harpman’s own search for meaning and memory. It serves as a vital link between post-war Jewish literature and contemporary feminist science fiction.

👉 For more updates on international affairs, culture, and Jewish community perspectives, visit Zushi’s List.

Read the full article from the original source:
Forward – Why a little-known Jewish writer from Belgium went viral — and why you should read her too

Source: The Forward, Culture Section, August 2025