When Women Were Dragons - by Kelly Barnhill

About the Book

"Alex Green is a young girl in a world much like ours. But this version of 1950's America is characterized by a significant event: The Mass Dragoning of 1955, when hundreds of thousands of ordinary wives and mothers sprouted wings, scales and talons, left a trail of fiery destruction in their path, and took to the skies. Was it their choice? What will become of those left behind? Why did Alex's beloved Aunt Marla transform but her mother did not? Alex doesn't know. It's taboo to speak of. Forced into silence, Alex nevertheless must face the consequences of this disturbing event: a mother more protective than ever; a father growing increasingly distant; the upsetting insistence that her aunt never even existed; and helping to raise a beloved younger girl obsessed with dragons far beyond propriety. In this timely and timeless speculative novel, award-winning author Kelly Barnhill boldly explores rage, memory, and the forced limitations of girlhood. When Women Were Dragons exposes a world that wants to keep women small-their lives and their prospects-and examines what happens when they rise en masse and take up the space they deserve"--

Book Synopsis

A GOODREADS BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR - A fiery feminist fantasy tale set in 1950s America where thousands of women have spontaneously transformed into dragons, exploding notions of a woman's place in the world and expanding minds about accepting others for who they really are.

"Ferociously imagined...and as exhilarating as a ride on dragonback." --Lev Grossman, bestselling author of The Magicians Trilogy

"Completely fierce, unmistakably feminist, and subversively funny." --Bonnie Garmus, bestselling author of Lessons in Chemistry

In the first adult novel by the New York Times bestselling author of The Ogress and The Orphans, Alex Green is a young girl in a world much like ours, except for its most seminal event: the Mass Dragoning of 1955, when hundreds of thousands of ordinary wives and mothers sprouted wings, scales, and talons; left a trail of fiery destruction in their path; and took to the skies. Was it their choice? What will become of those left behind? Why did Alex's beloved aunt Marla transform but her mother did not? Alex doesn't know. It's taboo to speak of.

Forced into silence, Alex nevertheless must face the consequences of this astonishing event: a mother more protective than ever; an absentee father; the upsetting insistence that her aunt never even existed; and
watching her beloved cousin Bea become dangerously obsessed with the forbidden.

In this timely and timeless speculative novel, award-winning author Kelly Barnhill boldly explores rage, memory, and the tyranny of forced limitations. When Women Were Dragons exposes a world that wants to keep women small--their lives and their prospects--and examines what happens when they rise en masse and take up the space they deserve.

Review Quotes

A Best Book of the Year: GOODREADS, BUZZFEED, BOOKRIOT, KIRKUS and LIBRARY JOURNAL

"Completely fierce, unmistakably feminist, and subversively funny, When Women Were Dragons brings the heat to misogyny with glorious imagination and talon-sharp prose. Check the skies tonight--you might just see your mother."
--Bonnie Garmus, author of Lessons in Chemistry

"Ferociously imagined, incandescent with feeling, this book is urgent and necessary and as exhilarating as a ride on dragonback."
--Lev Grossman, author of The Magicians Trilogy

"[A] riveting historical fantasy...What's surprising about Barnhill's rare foray into adult fiction is its subversiveness and feminist rage. It's a powerful, searing novel that feels deeply true, despite its magical premise."
--BuzzFeed

"Kelly Barnhill's poetic, pointed tale tackles the era's pervasive silence concerning all things female."
--Christian Science Monitor

"Kelly Barnhill couldn't have realized when she wrote When Women Were Dragons how prescient it would be when it went on sale this month...Barnhill's prose is gorgeous and powerful."
--The St. Paul Pioneer Press

"A complex, heartfelt story about following your heart and opening your mind to new possibilities. This novel's magic goes far beyond the dragons."
--Kirkus (starred review)

"A deeply felt exploration of feminism in an alternate fantastical history...This allegory packs a punch."
--Publishers Weekly

"Barnhill's sharp and lyrical prose showcases the joys and agonies of female power in this coming-of-age/alternate history."
--Library Journal

"If much of the novel feels like a full-throated howl, an indictment of a system of gender apartheid, an alchemy occurs in the final chapters . . . Kelly Barnhill reimagines a world where women face 1950s-style constraints, and find a path out."
--Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Exquisite . . . [A] soaring coming-of-age novel."
--The Observer (UK)

About the Author

KELLY BARNHILL has written several middle grade novels, including The Girl Who Drank the Moon, a New York Times bestseller and winner of the 2017 John Newbery Medal. She is also the recipient of the World Fantasy Award, and has been a finalist for the SFWA Andre Norton Nebula Award and the PEN America Literary Award. She lives in Minneapolis with her family.