A review by regardsrachel
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? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

 
Barnhill’s book was enraging, satisfying, and entertaining to read. There’s some magical realism but it certainly is not fantasy. The book is a feminist work and will discuss misogyny so be in a head space to read such incidents. It left me wanting more work in this world as aspects of the world emerged in the last couple of pages that would have been great to explore. Perhaps in another book. 

**Italicized sections are quotes from the work**

“...she did feel the urge to change, and powerfully so, and yet chose to stay anyway-she chose that very body, that very life, despite its limitations and despite the fact that it would be cut short far too soon…The choice itself is precious. The smallness and the largeness of an individual life does not change the fundamental honor and value of every manifestation of our personhood.”

One of the best aspects of this story, this feminist story, is the honoring of the multiple paths chosen by the women. Some women dragoned some didn’t by choice.  Some became homemakers while others worked out of the home. The complexity of the choices that manifested the female characters’ lives is nuanced. One choice over another is not characterized as the “right” or the “wrong” choice. Alex’s choices to support her family are shown as less than her academic pursuits. All of those choices are worthy of honor and it is the choice that should be protected. Barnhill’s book allowed for the answer to the feminist experience to be open to all kinds of women. She doesn’t have to bring up every intersection point but provides for the opportunity to exist of other experiences not just her main character’s. 

“I encourage you to consider a question: who benefits, my dear when you force yourself to not feel angry?”

All of Alex’s dialogue can feel like restrained, simmering, almost choked emotion. Anger at her selfish father, her school’s administrators, her aunt, and her mom. Anger, especially expressed by women is seen as a negative experience, an illogical experience. To be an angry woman is to be a woman “not thinking straight” or “needing to calm down.” And yet, such disregard for feeling doesn’t benefit the woman. The comfort of the boys and men is put ahead of all else by most of the adults around Alex. 

“There is a freedom in forgetting. Or at least it is something that feels like freedom. There is freedom in not asking questions. There is freedom in being unburdened by unpleasant information. And sometimes, a person has to hang on to whatever freedoms she can get.”

I appreciate that the main character in this story is not immediately a rabble-rouser once she learns about inequality in her community. Alex has other responsibilities and is a child. These moments show the effort it takes to remember and acknowledge hard things.  By silencing or forgetting parts of history their significance diminishes and that can be beneficial in the short term. Not talking about something doesn’t make the reality of the phenomenon go away, especially when it's obvious, like the existence of dragons. But the cost can be the chance for a  better future.

 
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