“‘When Women Were Dragons’ by Kelly Barnhill was published on May 3rd of this year, just one day after the draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health decision was leaked and it became clear that Roe vs. Wade would likely be overturned. I started seeing the book, with its beautiful green cover, more and more on my social media feeds. This made sense. The women I knew felt like we were dragons: caged ones.
“I am a fan of Kelly Barnhill’s books for young readers, so, knowing very little of what the book was about, I requested it from my library. Barnhill imagines that in 1955, there was a mass-dragoning in which hundreds and thousands of women shed their human skins, emerged as dragons, and took to the sky. Though it seems such an event could not be ignored, talk of dragons is deemed impolite. The story centers on a girl named Alex Green and her struggle to deal with the aftermath of this event, a struggle made that much harder because she is not supposed to talk about it.
“My breath has caught many times as I am reading this book. Perhaps the moment that struck the hardest was when one of Alex’s mentors, a forceful librarian, asks her, “Who benefits, my dear, when you force yourself to not feel angry?… Clearly, not you.” Indeed. ‘When Women Were Dragons’ enters the world at a time we desperately need it. It’s a call to women (defined inclusively) to not shy away from our rage, or any of our emotions.” — MEGAN BLAKEMORE, Kennebunk, YA and children’s book author and middle school librarian
Mainers, please email to tell us about the book on your bedside table right now. In a paragraph or two, describe the book and be sure to tell us what drew you to it. We want to hear what you are reading and why. Send your selection to pgrodinsky@pressherald.com, and we may use it as a future Bedside Table.
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