When Women Were Dragons

I loved the inspiration behind this book almost as much as the book itself.
Reminiscent in some ways of The Power, this is a world where women can and do become dragons - and how the same world deals with this (don’t look; don’t think; don’t remember)

There is very little I don’t love about this book. The prose is luscious, the setting - 1950/60s USA - is atmospheric in it’s stiflingly wilful silence, and the arc of Alex, the main character, is heartwarming and heartbreaking in equal measure.
I particularly enjoyed the combination of dragons (ordinarily a feature of dramatic, action-packed second-world fantasy) and the upsettingly normal life of a girl who just wants to study mathematics in world that thinks she should become a secretary until she ‘lands a good husband.’
More than anything, this book is angry, in a deeply relatable, quietly suppressed way. The allegory of dragons as ‘women’s problems’ is sharply and skilfully woven, from the taboo against even the most euphemistic discussion, to the ingrained expectation that girls “keep their eyes on the ground” so they don’t get any lofty ideas about flying, to the plea that daughters be protected from dragon influences at school (“They asked for America to please think of the children.”) The way Alex herself plays into this dragon-related sexism is an apt example of how women replicate their own experiences to enforce patriarchal expectations: she doesn’t let her younger sister Beatrice play make-believe about dragons or talk about flying with wings, using her mother’s script. “Inappropriate.”
And my inner nerd relished in the excepts of an academic text - A Brief History of Dragons by Dr Gantz - that intersperses the chapters. That, and transcripts from a hearing by the House UnAmerican Activities Committee, allows the book to play with the balance between the narrow lens on Alex, which is the emotional heart of the story, and the broader worldbuilding, which is rich and horrifying and empathetic.

It was strange to be reading a Kelly Barnhill book without the children but it does prove that this author is equally adept at writing books for young children or older folks. Very much enjoyed this book set in an alternate 1950's USA.

Writing the review for WHEN WOMEN WERE DRAGONS is going to be one of the hard ones to write. This book is one of those that is just so incredible I'm lost for words.

WHEN WOMEN WERE DRAGONS is a book about identity and struggling to be you in a world that has rigid definitions. Set in 1950s and 1960s America, when the world becomes too limiting for women, they transform. Some just leave, form communes, or explore the stars. Some kill abusers. And society "forgets" and buries it every time.

I loved the way it explored that pressure and the burden it put on people, Alex's journey through protective denial and how it all spiralled into messy emotions at the end. It was such a good exploration of pent up emotions and the consequences of not talking. Plus her dad was a right piece of work, though done with a much subtler brush than could have been used (which was nice.)

It was also told with multi-media, which is a narrative tool I love. I'm academia minded (applying for PhDs right now!) so anything with that slant feels so fun and nerdy. It's majority chapters, but there are outtakes from an academic paper, plus newspaper articles and transcripts of interviews. The mix was very good, and added extra background (on top of the "segues" in the chapters that provided explanations.)

The one thing I would say is that this book is being marketed as YA but, personally, it read as adult. Everything about it, from the tone to the themes to the way it followed through so much of Alex's life, felt like adult to me.

It's written as someone looking back on their life once they're past retirement, which gives it that much older, more mature tone. The academic multi-media and example segues just add to that non-YA "in the moment" feel. It's probably closest to <a href="https://sifaelizabethreads.wordpress.com/2021/09/08/book-review-a-natural-history-of-dragons-by-marie-brennan/" data-type="post" data-id="13159">A NATURAL HISTORY OF DRAGONS</a> in tone because of all of that.

I think I loved it even more for that, as I have very much been shifting from preferring YA to adult over the past few years. I guess that's something to bear in mind when reading it, for expectations if nothing else.

Such a divine book. Had me hooked from the author's introduction, incredible to have such a moving inspiration following the story the whole way through! Barnhill has such a way with words, Alex was such a clear and easy character to read and Beatrice was incredibly vibrant, too! Literally couldn't give higher praise.

I guess the best way to describe <I>When Women Were Dragons</i> for me is that it was an unexpected pleasure - I loved the cover and liked the idea behind it (a historical event that verges on magical, causing a mass social change and the impact it had on society).

Set in 1950's small town America for the most part, our protagonist is Alex who (like her mother before her) loves mathematics and can't see why that's an issue for a girl. In a society where options for women are severely limited, another way forward emerges - a mass Dragoning, women and girls literally shedding their skins and becoming something Other, often with disastrous effect for those who had provoked or caused that change by their behaviour.

This is also, however, something nobody is prepared to talk about later, something warned against in schools, even when one of those taking part is Alex's aunt. Suddenly, Alex no longer has a niece but a younger sister even as her mother's health deteriorates and eventually Alex is left to become an adult way too soon. Then the dragons come back and they're not prepared to play along any more.

I'm not massively fond of coming of age books and often find a teenage point of view a little annoying at best, but <I>When Women Were Dragons</I> managed to side-step this, taking me along for the ride. It's a truth universally acknowledged that many books could be seriously improved by the addition of dragons and here that proposal works out, giving power to those previously left powerless by the society in which they were living. I look forward to seeing what else this author comes up with, after this, as hers will be a name I'll definitely check out.

<I>I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, via Netgalley. This is my honest review of the book in question.</i>

I really enjoyed this book! I read it very quickly. I didn’t realise it was YA but it certainly was great , even for me , who is more an adult fiction reader . It a magical realism setting where women spontaneously turn in to dragons (we have all had that feeling but this is literal!). I loved this idea and it was so unique and easy to read . I think this is going to be massive!

When Women Were Dragons is a fabulously fierce, utterly original and unapologetically feminist novel that explores centuries of female rage, due to subjugation, violence and misogyny—leading women to spontaneously transform into DRAGONS. A relevant and timeless coming of age story that’s heartfelt, complex and thoroughly addictive.

Set in an alternate 1950s America, where in a single day thousands of women and girls spontaneously transform into Dragons—so shocking an event that it’s literally forbidden to talk about.

Alex was a child when the day known only as The Mass Dragoning took place and her aunt sprouted wings and took to the skies, but her mother is determined to forget. Forced into silence Alex now must live with the consequences; a mother more protective than ever, a father growing increasingly distant, a dragon obsessed cousin she must now call sister and an aunt she must forget ever existed…

This was absolutely phenomenal! I was completely captivated by the lush and atmospheric prose and exquisitely detailed world building. I loved the originality in using dragons as a metaphor for women expressing themselves, freeing themselves from having to conform to limiting or stereotypical gender roles. The choice to also use them as a euphemism for anything “feminine” that makes people (mostly men) uncomfortable, was also really well crafted and perfectly captures the stigma that still surrounds certain “womens issues” in society today.

The pacing was a little slow but I felt it worked well with the atmospheric and detailed storytelling—particularly the historical accounts, newspaper clippings, diary entries and other “classified” dragon related items that are scattered throughout the narrative which added a depth and richness to the world building.

I really liked Alex, our protagonist/main POV character and loved that the plot acts as a sort of memoir to Alex who tells us her story—from her childhood, her experience of the mass dragoning and how such an event affected the lives of those left behind.

Her story, as a bright and academically inclined woman, with no plans to marry or have kids-in a time where society expected all women to exactly that-is far from easy. But, her resilience pays off despite the rampant sexism she faces, though I have to admit several scenes had me literally wanting to go full dragon whilst reading, as the injustice all the female characters faced made me really angry.

There were several other characters that I absolutely loved as well ; Marla (Alex’s aunt), Dr. Gantz (a scientist trying to research and help the women who’ve ‘dragoned’), Mrs. Gyzinska (the local librarian and a fierce supporter of Alex) and of course Beatrice, my absolute favourite-her personality and fearlessness literally bursts of the page.

I also loved the inclusion of LGBTQ+ rep with both Marla and Alex being lesbian and a mention (during a study) of trans women transforming into dragons, though I would’ve liked to have explored more of their stories alongside Marla and Alex’s.

Overall, this was a powerfully moving, feminist and wonderfully queer coming of age story that I absolutely LOVED!

Also, a huge thank you to Hot Key Books and Netgalley for the e-arc.

When We Were Dragons is the wonderful feminist story of the dragooning, a process where women (and girls) transform into dragons, and I absolutely loved it, honestly I found it so empowering and delightful to read.

The main story follows Alex (not Alexandra, to be clear), a young girl who one day sees an old lady become a dragon. No one talks about, no one is allowed to report on it, but there is a phenomena where women transform into dragons, in particular the Mass Dragoning of 1955 where 300,000 women transformed, flying away and even punishing the men who hurt them in the process. But this isn’t a one time thing, it keeps happening but it’s just not talked about, the people left behind without lovers, mothers, sisters and so on, the girls feeling the urge to fly away, the girls feeling chained down … and throughout Alex’s journey, and her role as a daughter, a sister, a student and a partner, you follow her find her freedom her own way.

Just thinking about this book makes me smile, I love the message to it, I love how this book makes me feel, how clever it is, this book is a celebration of and a love letter to women. The pains and struggles of women are not glided over in this book but women are not made victims either. The writing style is easy to get your teeth into (no dragon pun), the characters likeable and good (mostly) but not perfect which makes them feel like someone you know.

My criticisms are very minor and easily resolved in that this book doesn’t cover dragons in much detail. But here’s the thing, this isn’t a book about dragons, it’s a book about women, the wildness, the liberation, the truth of women in a world that wants to tame and restrain us. So while yes, there would be more I’d love to know, and details like their life cycle, diet etc are only briefly explored by the scientist character Gantz, what i knew was enough to be wonderful because this was a book about Alex, Bea, Aunt Marla and every woman on the page and every woman it made me think about.

Thank you NetGalley for this copy in exchange for my review. With books you can be anything, the possibilities are infinite, and I am so glad Kelly Barnhill chose to make us dragons.

Ok, so I will admit the title of this book really called to me when I saw it. When Women Were Dragons is a reimagining with a definite fantasy thread, the dragons kind of give it away really!

Set in the 1950s this is a brilliant book that mixes historical with fantasy. Women through the years have transformed into dragons, they are never seen, mentioned or talked about ever again. In 1955 when 1,000s of women worldwide changed were still covered up. No one is allowed to mention the word dragon or anything to do with this event.

The thing is, the women have very little control over this change, some could hold it back and others just went with it.

This is a brilliant story that is about women empowering themselves and making the choice as to how they live their own lives. This is a time when women stay home, cook meals, look after the house, raise the children and have a meal ready on the table for when their husband walks in the door. It is very much a patriarchal society and while this story is set in a small area in the US, it was something that was a worldwide thing.

The focus is on Alex, a young girl who is confused by events that are happening, not just to family and neighbours who have changed, but also the changes in her own body. As a young girl, there are expectations of her and what she is to do with her future. Alex however has other ideas, she wants to go on with her education and go to university. Others think that a piece of paper to say you are clever isn't much use when you are a mother and wife.

This story is very much about discrimination and there are times I got so angry with the attitudes of some of the characters, this is all credit to the author. I do love a story that makes me go through various emotions and this one definitely did that. Anger, euphoria, happiness, sadness and a sense of justice are just some of them. The way the author portrayed Alex and other women was just so good, the way they carried themselves with eyes down at the ground while all the time wanting to look up and to the future made it quite a powerful read.

This was a brilliant book to read, at times I admit it did get a bit far-fetched, but it still kept up the flow and feel of the story. I think at times I actually forgot some of the characters were dragons!

I adored this book and I did like the mix of fantasy with historical fiction. The concept is such a good one and it really appealed to me. This is a story about empowerment as well as a coming of age story. It does carry a powerful message and it is one I would definitely recommend.

“I am here to point you to the fact that once upon a time, humanity worshipped the Divine Feminine, and that in that time all of humanity was in thrall of her power and strength, both procreative and destructive, both fecund and barren, both joy and terror, all at once.” – Kelly Barnhill.
When Women Were Dragons is a fierce, unapologetically feminist, novel that I read (almost in it’s entirety) in one sitting. Despite knowing essentially nothing about it apart from the fact I loved the cover, the blurb was intriguing, and Dragons I am so very glad this book exists.
Set in an alternate 1950/60’s America, where on a single day in 1955, thousands upon thousands of women spontaneously transform into Dragons, it’s such a shock to the patriarchy that it’s forbidden to talk about.

Alex, our main character – bright, academically inclined and with zero plans to marry in a time when keeping house and raising babies was all women were good for - was a child when the day known as The Mass Dragoning took place and her aunt sprouted wings and took to the skies. As per the blurb, Alex is forced into silence and now must live with the consequences; a mother more protective than ever, a father growing increasingly distant, a dragon obsessed cousin she must now call sister and an aunt she must forget ever existed.

The pacing can seem a little slow in the start, but throughout it worked well, adding in to Alex’s narrative, historical accounts, newspaper articles and snippets from the wonderful Dr. Gantz’s findings from his study of Dragoning, and added depth and richness to the world building. The one thing I would love a bit more of background/information on, is the knots. I know about using knots in spell casting and magic, and as they appear throughout the story - they have history, and lore, - and I would have loved for them to be more fully explained, but I can’t say much without spoiling it.

There are other truly wonderful characters that I adored, in particular the local librarian, Mrs. Gyzinska, who was Alex’s biggest supporter and whose own story I would love to read as a companion novel.
For me, I think one of the most striking features of this novel is the relevance. We like to think we have come a long way societally (which in many regards we have) but we are still fighting the same fight. In one later scene, during a protest, a Dragoned protestor is holding a sign that reads “My Body, My Choice” and **** if that didn’t feel familiar. This book is important.
I read a quick review (I avoid anything long until I’ve read it myself) a couple of days before I started it, that said When Women Were Dragons is ‘a wonderful ode to the strength and resilience of women, who have been transforming into dragons for centuries. Women who have been put down by men, humiliated, held back, told “no”, abused, ignored. They feel the power inside then and emerge anew. For all women and female-identifying people are full of magic.’ And if that doesn’t make you want to read this, I’m not sure what will!
4.5 stars, deservedly rounded up not down.

Review When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill

When Women Were Dragons is a beautiful and powerful read. Starting in Wisconsin 1955 in a world where girls and women are taught to be quiet, the dragons inside them are about to be set free and nothing will ever by the same again.

The story tells a fictionalized history of America during the 50s and beyond. Told from the point of view of Alex Green, who is initially eight-years-old when hundreds of thousands of ordinary women sprout wings, scales and talons and take to the skies in blaze of fire and fury. We learn how Alex had several burning questions left unanswered until much later in life.

Why did Alex’s aunt Marla transform when Alex’s mother didn’t? Why are the family insistent that her cousin Beatrice is now her sister? Alex never gets answers to her questions. Such things are too embarrassing and feminine and should not be discussed. Easier to pretend it didn’t happen and forget entirely but Alex won’t forget and she doesn’t want to.

Alex’s fire and desire for answers never dies and only intensifies as she grows into a fiercely independent teenager in the era of the Mass Dragoning. Society turning in on itself, a mother more protective than ever; the upsetting and confusing insistence that Marla never even existed and watching her beloved Beatrice becoming dangerously obsessed with the forbidden.

I want to start by saying that from the first page I was hooked and was incredibly surprised this was Kelly Barnhill’s first adult novel. At the very core this is about the repressed finding a voice that was always there and embracing it and how the world deals with such things. The setting is believable and fits perfectly with the time. Although it is somewhat upsetting that certain parraels can be drawn to todays society as well.

Barnhill creates a fierce and likable protagonist in Alex who we share her frustration and growing irritation with the society she is part of. As we learn more with Alex and Alex recalls her life and how it was affected by the Mass Dragoning we also have our believe in this event reinforced by Barnhill’s amazing use to mulit-media inserts. We get to see how the world deals and examines the dragons who were once women. How the media and professionals view the events and it helps reinforce a true sense of realism.

I never like to spoil books in my reviews be it ARC or already published but I will say the last 10% of the book really got me, in the best possible way. The idea of blending a pseudo -magical event that causes mass societal change and positioning and firmly putting this in an historical setting further reinforced by the mulit-media telling makes this a wonderful read. The ending is perfect in this sense, it takes a long time but finally we see the story come full cycle.

I will say that the characters are all likable, even those who try to follow ‘societal norms’ and ignore the Mass Dragoning. I also adored the sapphic relationship within but more importantly I loved that while this is a fiercely feminist tale at it’s core and heart it focuses on family, be it by blood or found, on the idea of striving for answers and keeping your true to your own self and path. I honestly adored this.

As always thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an E-ARC of this title for review.

This book was truly beautiful. It elicited a wide range of fierce emotions - rage, hatred, disgust, as well as overwhelming joy and love. It takes you through a beautiful journey of a young woman's life, as she navigates growing up in a world that tries to keep her tame and quiet, where femininity is taboo. The hook with this story is the ability for woman to turn into dragons, and how this is viewed by society as so embarrassing and awful that's it's completely ignored, and any mentions of dragons is shamed. It shows how the world tries to tie women down, and the struggle for freedom through difficult life choices.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Sexism
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Cancer