"When Women Were Dragons" is a 2022 fantasy novel by Kelly Barnhill. The story is set in an alternate history United States where, in 1955, a mass dragoning event occurs during which hundreds of thousands of women spontaneously transform into dragons—creatures with wings, scales, and talons—and take to the skies. This transformation is referred to as "dragoning." The novel explores themes of persecution, gender, and power as women who have been aggrieved or oppressed gain the ability to become dragons, a metaphor for self-liberation and resistance. The phenomenon is largely suppressed and taboo in society, and the story follows the protagonist Alex Green as she navigates the aftermath of this event and the gradual acceptance of dragons in society. The book blends elements of fantasy with feminist and social commentary.