We Were Forbidden
Jacqueline Harpman author Ros Schwartz translator
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Vintage Publishing
Published:2nd Jul '26
Should be back in stock very soon
A startling new collection of three never-before-translated stories, from the author of I Who Have Never Known Men
In the wake of some unfathomable war, a woman wanders the forest, forbidden from ever leaving its strange depths. As part of her rigid schooling, a teenage girl is barred from questioning the dogma she is taught to believe. Locked in a loveless marriage, a young woman satisfies her husband’s desires, twice-weekly, as directed – until she begins to pursue her own.
Includes the stories: The Ardennes Forest, The Outcast and The Broom Cupboard
BRIEF ENCOUNTERS: classic novellas and captivating stories, to be read in a single sitting or savoured over days
Dystopian literary surrealism from a master who’s belatedly getting her due. * New York Times Book Review *
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 * Kirkus Reviews, starred review *
These tales showcase a new side of Harpman’s prose... Full of nuance and spite, and true to Harpman’s beloved style * Booklist *
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. -- Jessi Jezewska Stevens
ISBN: 9781529984583
Dimensions: 197mm x 130mm x 8mm
Weight: 216g
96 pages