A review by reading_rainbow_with_chris
When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill

challenging emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

 
“When Women were Dragons” by Kelly Barnhill
In 1950s Wisconsin, a young girl who preferred to be called Alex lived her life in an intricate knot made up of the women in her life: her teachers, her best friend, her librarian, her cousin, her mother, and her outspoken and commanding aunt. However, when her aunt becomes one of the thousands of women who were part of the mass dragoning in 1955, Alex’s life is overturned, compelling her to find her own fire within and to grapple with how the dragons will change her world. This is an absolutely beautiful novel with layers of thoughtfulness. On the first level, Barnhill has written a terrific narrative with a style which is emotive, complex, and yet still accessible to a wide range of readers. On the second level, this is is a novel about rebellion, about the power of women to be able to find their fire and their wings in a world which all to often constrains them. In that way, this is unapologetically feminist. On a third level, this is a novel about the complexity of family, about the tension between those who we are told are family and those who are. Whether this was Barnhill’s intent, I found the questioning of traditional family structure and the alternative families explored remarkably queer and moving. Although I found myself at times wishing for an exploration of more subtle forms of patriarchy/misogyny as opposed to Barnhill’s rather direct approach, I also think perhaps this was a deliberate choice. In many ways, this novel functions as an extended fable in how clear the lines of moral/amoral/immoral are, which I think was an interesting and effective choice. On the whole, this was a perfect read for me. It will likely end up as one of my favorite books of this year and I highly recommend it for everyone, but especially for all female/feminine persons who are seeking their own fire in 2022. 

 
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