When Women Were Dragons Audiobook By Kelly Barnhill cover art

When Women Were Dragons

A Novel

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When Women Were Dragons

By: Kelly Barnhill
Narrated by: Kimberly Farr, Mark Bramhall
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About this listen

A GOODREADS BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR • A fiery feminist fantasy tale set in 1950s America where thousands of women have spontaneously transformed into dragons, exploding notions of a woman’s place in the world and expanding minds about accepting others for who they really are.

"Ferociously imagined…and as exhilarating as a ride on dragonback."—Lev Grossman, bestselling author of The Magicians Trilogy

"Completely fierce, unmistakably feminist, and subversively funny."—Bonnie Garmus, bestselling author of Lessons in Chemistry

In the first adult novel by the New York Times bestselling author of The Ogress and The Orphans, Alex Green is a young girl in a world much like ours, except for its most seminal event: the Mass Dragoning of 1955, when hundreds of thousands of ordinary wives and mothers sprouted wings, scales, and talons; left a trail of fiery destruction in their path; and took to the skies. Was it their choice? What will become of those left behind? Why did Alex’s beloved aunt Marla transform but her mother did not? Alex doesn’t know. It’s taboo to speak of.

Forced into silence, Alex nevertheless must face the consequences of this astonishing event: a mother more protective than ever; an absentee father; the upsetting insistence that her aunt never even existed; and
watching her beloved cousin Bea become dangerously obsessed with the forbidden.

In this timely and timeless speculative novel, award-winning author Kelly Barnhill boldly explores rage, memory, and the tyranny of forced limitations. When Women Were Dragons exposes a world that wants to keep women small—their lives and their prospects—and examines what happens when they rise en masse and take up the space they deserve.

©2022 Kelly Barnhill (P)2022 Random House Audio
Coming of Age Fantasy Fiction Genre Fiction Dragons Heartfelt Scary

Critic reviews

A Best Book of the Year: GOODREADS, BUZZFEED, BOOKRIOT, KIRKUS and LIBRARY JOURNAL

"Completely fierce, unmistakably feminist, and subversively funny, When Women Were Dragons brings the heat to misogyny with glorious imagination and talon-sharp prose. Check the skies tonight—you might just see your mother."—Bonnie Garmus, author of Lessons in Chemistry

"Ferociously imagined, incandescent with feeling, this book is urgent and necessary and as exhilarating as a ride on dragonback."—Lev Grossman, author of The Magicians Trilogy

"[A] riveting historical fantasy...What’s surprising about Barnhill’s rare foray into adult fiction is its subversiveness and feminist rage. It’s a powerful, searing novel that feels deeply true, despite its magical premise."—BuzzFeed

Featured Article: A Spoiler-Free Explainer on Prime Video’s The Power


The Power by Naomi Alderman is a bestselling 2016 sci-fi novel imagining a world where women begin to develop the ability to release electrical energy from their hands, and how this power flips societal gender dynamics. Now, a new legion of fans are about to discover the world of The Power. Get ready for Prime Video's thrilling adpatation of Naomi Alderman's sci-fi stunner with this essential primer on the story's plot, characters, and themes.

What listeners say about When Women Were Dragons

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Beautiful Storytelling Engaging Narrative Thought-provoking Story Creative Premise Empowering Tale
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A wonderful tale

A coming of age tale that's equal parts reality and magic, masterfully narrated! From tragedy to triumph, love infuses this story - love of self, romantic love, familial love... All are challenged, and all triumph in the end. Kimberly Farr's narration set the scene for me in a way that my mind couldn't even approach from reading the written word.

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13 people found this helpful

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A Fairy Tale for our time

Great book
I would love to read more books set in this world. Looking for my inner dragon.

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7 people found this helpful

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Brilliant

A brilliant, brave and honest story that reminds us; we create a better world by being unapologetically true to ourselves, and by caring for and accepting others, as they are. 🐉

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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Good but wouldn’t listen again

I liked the general story and feel of the book. I wasn’t crazy about this narrator and think I might have liked the book more if I had read it. Also I’m an adult and this is probably much better suited to a young person or young adult. I just found the depth a little lacking.

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I want to be a DRAGON

Amazing story entirely applicable to the here and now. Let's all dragon out together and support our dragons to be. LOVED it and all the metaphor.

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Amazing

This was an incredible book. My only regret is that I can’t experience it for the first time again.

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A superb myth about the Return of the Divine Feminine

Ms Barnhill has captured the essence of what the Archetypal Feminine looks like in the world today. Whether The Feminine will return to the collective consciousness is uncertain. But this story gives much Hope.

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If only...

This book impacts from the first paragraph. I'm so thankful I found this, it was excellent. Amazing. Beautiful. All the words that make your heart feel things.
If I could, I'd have dragoned a long long time ago.

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Very good!

Very good the over all feel of this is David Attenborough meets dragons meets a girls diary. And it’s wonderful!

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Interesting feminist story

I really loved how the story portrayed feminist themes in a way that young people like understand and enjoy. I was slightly disappointed by the ending. Everything else was wonderful

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