When Women Were Dragons

1. General Impressions 

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• When you first read the title of the book, did you think it was symbolic, or did you believe the women would actually turn into dragons? Were you surprised that the latter was the case in the novel?
• Did you expect Alex to turn into a dragon or stay human? What about the novel led you to this conclusion? 
• When Women Were Dragons is written as a history, but it contains many elements of fantasy and other genres. What genre do you think the novel belongs to? How does it compare to other works in this genre that you’ve encountered?

2. Personal Reflection and Connection 

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

• Did you find Bertha or Marla more relatable? Did you like either character more at the end of the novel than at the start?
• Have you ever felt confined by your expected role? Did you relate to the women who turned into dragons? 
• Do you feel your society expects something specific of you? How do those expectations vary based on gender, race, class, etc.? 
• What part of the novel made you feel most empathetic toward the dragons? Why?

3. Societal and Cultural Context 

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

• What do you think Barnhill is trying to say about censorship in the novel? Where do you see censorship occurring in contemporary societies, and what solutions does the novel propose? 
• Consider the physical transformation women who turn into dragons experience. What might this suggest about the way contemporary societies conceptualize and control women’s bodies?

4. Literary Analysis 

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

• How did you feel about the novel’s blending of fantasy and history? Do you think it helped achieve the author’s purposes?
• Do you think the novel would have been different if presented as a pure history rather than a compilation of various contemporary documents? What does the presentation of these documents say about the time that has passed since women were dragons? 
• What does Bertha’s interest in knots symbolize? Do you think it relates to her relationship with Alex?
• What does Alex’s repression of her interest in dragons say about her character or the world she lives in? How does this change when she begins to write down her history with dragons?

5. Creative Engagement 

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

• Would you turn into a dragon if you could? If you were a dragon, what would you want to look like, what abilities would you want to have, and why?
• Imagine writing a story from the point of view of someone who turned into a dragon. What techniques would you use to communicate the experience?