Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey
It was such a lovely change of pace to go back to a fantasy book. I haven’t read fantasy novels for quite some time and reading Dragonsong make me nostalgic for my childhood when I read Tamora Pierce. The world of the novel is filled with beautiful coastlines, majestic dragons and sprightly fire lizards. Dragonsong is an enchanting novel about a young girl ostracized from her home and her journey of understanding and self-acceptance. Menolly is denied her true calling, a harper, because she is a girl. The treatment that Menolly endures in her home reminds me of people’s inability to dream and imagine a different life. It reminds me of the situation in The Left Hand of Darkness when Genly wonders why no one invented airplanes or other flying vehicles and Estraven responds that how can one dream of flying when they’ve never seen anything that could fly. Menolly’s fate exist directly against her family’s opinions of gender roles and so she finds more solace away from her family. Finding a community that accepts her for who she inspires Menolly to both accept and love herself. The whole book was a touching tale of acceptance and compassion. It was a tender story of a youth who goes against society trying to fit in. Even if you’re an adult, this story is captivating and not only reminds us of the struggles we went through as children, but perhaps the struggles we go through daily to accept and love ourselves.
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