“When Women Were Dragons,” by Kelly Barnhill. (Doubleday, $28.)
Dragons! Dragons! Dragons!
What could be bad about that? Well, as it turns out, plenty, when women in 1950s America and beyond spontaneously turn into them in Kelly Barnhill’s “When Women Were Dragons.” The novel deftly weaves multiple characters from multiple eras, fictitious redacted government documents, and rapturous dragonings into a powerful exploration of the feminine divine. For its sensibility, gorgeous writing and sublime storytelling, this was probably my favorite read of the year.
