When Women Were Dragons: an enduring, feminist novel from New York Times bestselling author, Kelly Barnhill

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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.”

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. but we see very little exploration of other cultures and classes. 1950s America is presented as uniform and rather bland. The pacing is a slog, Alex evolves from "precocius child" to "dull, pointless protagonist" soon enough, and halfway through the book I just couldn't buy her relationship to Beatrice or just about anything that involved Alex having feelings because everything about her is so souless and inconsequential. This is a book about women turning into dragons in a burst of fiery female rage and somehow manages to be boring about it - and about as subtle as a ton of briks to the head but I wouldn't have cared about that if it had been entertaining. Alas, it stopped being entertaining a third into the book. This is also a book about a resourceful smart young woman that made me absolutely hate its main character because I got very tired of Alex's specialness and informed intelligence without the author doing any work whatsoever to show us that she is at least half as smart and special as this book kept telling me she was. And then it all got fixed and wrapped in a neat little bow within the space of a handful of chapters. The end. I guess the best way to describe When Women Were Dragons 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). 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.”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.

We see the gradual return, and grudging acceptance and integration of the dragons into American society.As we read more, we see that this describes Alex’s life. She is ever more full of questions, but forced to remain silent, although there are huge consequences of this astonishing event. Her mother is more protective than ever, her handicrafts seeming to take on a magical totem role. The decorative knots she constructs are everywhere, in furnishings, on clothes or to be worn; their intricate patterns carefully worked out in her mother’s tiny cramped handwriting in her notebook. Spells and incantations? Or higher maths? Alex has been told that her mother was a mathematical genius. Her mother smiles mysteriously, simply saying that the knots are to keep them safe. 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. 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. No, this would not have suited me, nor perhaps you, but the world was a different place then. The burning, building rage that is described is transposed from the perceptions of a 21st century woman. It is just not that simple. It’s also worth pointing out that these conditions still apply today, for some, and are not consigned to the history books. The USA today even has a term, “stay-at-home mom”, for those women who choose to do so, although the UK does not adhere to this concept.