When Women Were Dragons
A fictional memoir from Alex, who recounts her life and the involvement of the various women in her life and their various reactions to dragoning: her mom, aunt, and her so-called sister. Dragoning in this book is when a person, usually a woman, transforms into a dragon.
Alex goes through some shit. Her aunt dragons, leaving her child behind. Alex’s family takes her cousin, Beatrice, in as Alex’s sister. They agree to never talk about her aunt again. Her mom dies, and then her dad forces both Alex and Beatrice out of his their home.
At first I found it hard to read, because the book felt that it was about feminine rage and how we in Western society turn a blind eye to it. And I mean it was difficult because that’s a discomforting thing to read, imagine, and come to terms as a person in our culture, and I think that’s Barnhill’s intention.
Then the book took a turn and felt it was about families of different shapes, compositions, and finding love in its different guises.
I think the book is both. I think it did well to describe feminine rage and our collective rejection of it in society. I also think that it handles family dynamics and love with care.
I enjoyed this book and I recommend that you give it a shot.