{"product_id":"we-were-forbidden-jacqueline-harpman","title":"We Were Forbidden - Jacqueline Harpman","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBiographical Note\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eJacqueline Harpman\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ewas born in Etterbeek, Belgium, in 1929. Her family fled to Casablanca when the Nazis invaded, and only returned home after the war. After studying French literature she started training to be a doctor, but could not complete her training due to contracting tuberculosis. She turned to writing in 1954 and her first work was published in 1958. In 1980 she qualified as a psychoanalyst. Harpman wrote over 15 novels and won numerous literary prizes, including the Prix Médicis for\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eOrlanda\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eI Who Have Never Known Men\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ewas her first novel to be translated into English, and was originally published with the title\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Mistress of Silence\u003c\/i\u003e. Harpman died in 2012.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eRos Schwartz\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ehas translated numerous works of fiction and non-fiction from French, including Jacqueline Harpman's\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eI Who Have Never Known Men\u003c\/i\u003e, several Georges Simenon titles for Penguin Classics, a new translation of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Little Prince\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eand, most recently, Mireille Gansel's\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eTranslation as Transhumance\u003c\/i\u003e. The recipient of a number of awards, she was made a Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2009 and received the Institute of Translation and Interpreting's John Sykes Memorial Prize for Excellence in 2017.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eWe Were Forbidden\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"Dystopian literary surrealism from a master who's belatedly getting her due.\"-- \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe New York Times Book Review\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"Across these works, Harpman traces variations of the same psychic drama. Her dystopias diagnose the mind under pressure... Having lived through displacement, illness, and the violence of institutions, Harpman understands how quickly prohibitions take root. The world may collapse, but the mind continues to enforce its codes.\"-- \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003ePetya K. Grady,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Believer\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"In Harpman's desperate, ornery, and alien universes, her avatars write their memoirs for no one at all. It is a desolate prospect, but also a triumph.\" \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e--Jessi Jezewska Stevens,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e4Columns\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"Reading [Harpman's] prose, one is reminded of Robert Coover or Donald Barthelme, those other masters of the seriously weird and yet wonderfully fun, transgressive, idea-driven tale . . . Like going to the church we always wished we'd had.\"-- \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLiz Wood,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eWords Without Borders\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"With this collection, readers are afforded intimacy with Harpman the woman, who felt and thought more than what can be gleaned from the postapocalyptic tragedy that has made her a sensation.\"-- \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEmily Wood,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Toronto Review\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e★ \"Another stunning missive from Harpman's repertoire... Renewed interest in Harpman's oeuvre isn't just warranted: In works like this, she reveals herself to be one of the major writers of the 20th century, comparable to Gogol and Kafka but with a style and outlook entirely her own.\"-- \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/em\u003e, starred review\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"The three female protagonists in this sharp-edged triptych push back against the political, educational, and sexual regimes, respectively, that govern their lives... wry and metafictional; this is transfixing.\"-- \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e★ \"Enigmatic and cartwheeling. Harpman's splendid novellas explore refusal in its collective and personal forms--a piercing commentary on human compulsions to duty.\" \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eForeword Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e, starred review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"These tales showcase a new side of Harpman's prose... Full of nuance and spite, and true to Harpman's beloved style.\" \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"Post-apocalyptic science fiction, like John Wyndham; humorous and incisive, like Don Quixote.\" \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eI Who Have Never Known Men\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Paradoxically, the book's austere mystery--the atrophied and gelid world it depicts--provides a richly allusive consideration of human life.\"--\u003cb\u003eDeborah Eisenberg,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe New York Review of Books\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"All the loneliness and oblivion of a deserted world won't stop us from following the narrator as far as she can go. . . Each revelation that directs her steps is a small miracle.\"--\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A consistently gripping experience.\"--\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eTimes Literary Supplement\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Imagination. Jacqueline Harpman certainly doesn't lack any. . . With incredible mastery, she juggles with identities, intertwines desires and fears, fantasies and frustrations.\"--\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eL'Express\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"[I] couldn't put it down. . . It's a deceptively simple but wholly propulsive story that explores the interplay between memory, patriarchy and solidarity.\"--\u003cb\u003eLaila Lalami, author of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Dream Hotel\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"The delirium of I Who Have Never Known Men suggests the work of a feminine Kafka.\"--\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLe Nouvel Observateur\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/span\u003e 05\/11\/2026 (EAN 9798893380583, Paperback)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eShelf Awareness\u003c\/span\u003e 12\/30\/0001 (EAN 9798893380583, Paperback)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/span\u003e 05\/22\/2026 pg. 1 (EAN 9798893380583, Paperback)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eBooklist\u003c\/span\u003e 06\/01\/2026 (EAN 9798893380583, Paperback)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/span\u003e 06\/15\/2026 (EAN 9798893380583, Paperback) - *Starred Review\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eForeword\u003c\/span\u003e 06\/27\/2026 (EAN 9798893380583, Paperback)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ingram Content Group","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47780780736690,"sku":null,"price":18.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0650\/5339\/3074\/files\/We_Were_Forbidden_-_Jaqueline_Harpman.png?v=1785531127","url":"https:\/\/margoboutique.com\/products\/we-were-forbidden-jacqueline-harpman","provider":"Margo Boutique","version":"1.0","type":"link"}