When Women Were Dragons

Kelly Barnhill

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Hot Key Books
12 September 2023

Fantasy; Historical fiction; Fantasy

'A soaring coming-of-age novel.' - The Observer

'Completely fierce, unmistakably feminist, and subversively funny. When Women Were Dragons brings the heat to misogyny with glorious imagination and talon-sharp prose.' - Bonnie Garmus, author of Lessons in Chemistry

In a world where girls and women are taught to be quiet, the dragons inside them are about to be set free ...

In this timely and timeless speculative novel, set in 1950s America, Kelly Barnhill exposes a world that wants to keep girls and women small - and examines what happens when they rise up.

Alex Green is four years old when she first sees a dragon in her next-door neighbour's garden, in the spot where the old lady usually sits. The huge dragon, an astonished expression on its face, opens its wings and soars away across the rooftops.

And Alex doesn't see the little old lady after that. No one mentions her. It's as if she's never existed.

Then Alex's mother disappears, and reappears a week later, with no explanation as to where she has been. But she is a ghostly shadow of her former self, and with scars across her body - wide, deep burns, as though she had been attacked by a monster who breathed fire.

Alex, growing from young girl to fiercely independent teenager, is desperate for answers, but doesn't get any. Whether anyone likes it or not, the Mass Dragoning is coming. Everything is about to change, forever.

And when it does, this, too, will be unmentionable ...

Perfect for fans of The Handmaid's Tale, Vox, and The Power.

By: Kelly Barnhill
Imprint: Hot Key Books
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 198mm, Width: 128mm, Spine: 20mm
Weight: 270g
ISBN: 9781471412226
ISBN 10: 1471412229
Pages: 352
Publication Date: 12 September 2023
Recommended Age: From 14 to 18 years
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Kelly Barnhill lives in Minnesota with her husband and three children. She is the author of four novels, including The Girl Who Drank the Moon, winner of the Newbery Medal. The Witch's Boy received four starred reviews and was a finalist for the Minnesota Book Awards.

Reviews for When Women Were Dragons

'A complex, heartfelt story about following your heart and opening your mind to new possibilities. This novel's magic goes far beyond the dragons.' - Kirkus, starred review