Life is not easy it is incredibly complex, and When Women Were Dragons delve into that complexity of what it means to live.
Some sacrifices may be necessary, but we can all choose our happiness by living our true selves. This novel tells the reader to be who they want to be, to reach for the stars, to spread their wings and fly. It forces the reader to look, to listen, to allow the magic we have in ourselves to awaken. However, the complexity of the narrative is so compelling and also empowering. Through an adult lens, she looks back at who she was as a child, thinks back as a child, and gives the reader a view of what the world looked like. Throughout the story, Alex recounts all these events. But it asks questions: Should Marla have (Alex’s aunt) stayed human and allowed her sister to change? Should women have been forced to give up who they love and want to be to fit into the status quo? Should anyone sacrifice their happiness for the sake of others? Marla chose not to, but in the end, she ended up burdening her sister with the daughter she abandoned. And when forced into the mold, Alex’s aunt showed her the shackles that came with it and, eventually, the magic of breaking out. A mechanic with her own business, a woman who bragged of her sister’s intelligence and mocked the idea that she was not as “smart as any man,” often pressed upon Alex that there was magic in women. It wove lies into their lives as they tried to live everyday lives while feigning innocence of the events.Īlex’s aunt was part of the Mass Dragoning, and early on, it is clear she was not the picture of what a 1950s woman should be. This event changed her life and that of her cousin/sister/daughter. Women have magic in them that theme comes up repeatedly throughout the story as Alex, our narrator, recounts her life from childhood to adulthood, trying to understand the Mass Dragoning of 1955. When Women Were Dragons paints an incredibly accurate picture of what 1950s American society looked like, with one clear difference: women could turn into dragons. I love a good feminist novel, especially one as empowering as this one.
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