[BONUS] Jen Hatmaker Book Club ft. When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill

Jun 7, 2024

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Jen and award-winning author, Kelly Barnhill, discuss the powerful themes and inspirations behind her genre-defying book "When Women Were Dragons." Sparked by her outrage during the Kavanaugh hearings, Barnhill created a bold metaphor where women transform into dragons to escape societal oppression.

In this conversation, she delves into her controversial ending that ultimately represents the multitude of paths to female empowerment. Barnhill also examines the dangerous historical pattern of silencing trauma and marginalized voices, from the 1918 flu to violent racial tensions.

Jen and Kelly discuss:

“When Women Were Dragons’" exploration of women transforming into dragons as a metaphor for rebelling against oppression and societal constraints.
The ending and how it represents there are multiple valid paths for women's empowerment - some transformative, others finding power in conventional roles.
Highlights about the historical pattern of silencing traumatic events and oppression of marginalized groups.
Portrayals of womanhood as expansive and defying rigid societal definitions of what a woman is or can be.

Novel Summary:

"When Women Were Dragons" by Kelly Barnhill is a feminist fantasy novel that explores themes of female empowerment, societal repression, and transformation. Set in an alternate 1950s America, the story revolves around a mysterious event known as the "Mass Dragoning of 1955," where a significant number of women across the country inexplicably turn into dragons and fly away, leaving behind their human lives.

The protagonist, Alex Green, navigates life in the aftermath of this event. She grows up in a society that tries to suppress and erase the memory of the dragonings, facing the stigma and secrecy surrounding the topic. Alex's journey involves uncovering family secrets, particularly those related to her aunt Marla, who was one of the women who transformed. As Alex learns more about her aunt's life and the circumstances of the dragonings, she begins to understand the broader implications of the event and its connection to women's liberation and agency.

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Guest’s Links:

Kelly’s Website - https://kellybarnhill.wordpress.com/

Kelly’s Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/insufferable_blabbermouth/

Kelly’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/kellybarnhill

Books & Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill - https://bit.ly/3Vd01m3

The Book of Dragons: An Anthology - https://bit.ly/4bO3ldN

Kavanaugh Hearing - https://supreme.justia.com/justices/brett-m-kavanaugh/

1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic - https://bit.ly/3ysjfvX

The Book of Love: A Novel by Kelly Link - https://bit.ly/4btgQzN

Nettle & Bone - https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250824776/nettlebone