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Hardcover Finding Dorothy Book

ISBN: 0525622101

ISBN13: 9780525622109

Finding Dorothy

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Format: Hardcover

Condition: Good

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Book Overview

This richly imagined novel tells the story behind The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the book that inspired the iconic film, through the eyes of author L. Frank Baum's intrepid wife, Maud.

"A breathtaking read that will transport you over the rainbow and into the heart of one of America's most enduring fairy tales."--Lisa Wingate, author of Before We Were Yours

Hollywood, 1938: As soon as she learns that M-G-M is adapting her late husband's masterpiece for the screen, seventy-seven-year-old Maud Gage Baum sets about trying to finagle her way onto the set. Nineteen years after Frank's passing, Maud is the only person who can help the producers stay true to the spirit of the book--because she's the only one left who knows its secrets.

But the moment she hears Judy Garland rehearsing the first notes of "Over the Rainbow," Maud recognizes the yearning that defined her own life story, from her youth as a suffragette's daughter to her coming of age as one of the first women in the Ivy League, from her blossoming romance with Frank to the hardscrabble prairie years that inspired The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Judy reminds Maud of a young girl she cared for and tried to help in South Dakota, a dreamer who never got her happy ending. Now, with the young actress under pressure from the studio as well as her ambitious stage mother, Maud resolves to protect her--the way she tried so hard to protect the real Dorothy.

The author of two New York Times bestselling nonfiction books, The Eighty-Dollar Champion and The Perfect Horse, Elizabeth Letts is a master at discovering and researching a rich historical story and transforming it into a page-turner. Finding Dorothy is the result of Letts's journey into the amazing lives of Frank and Maud Baum. Written as fiction but based closely on the truth, Elizabeth Letts's new book tells a story of love, loss, inspiration, and perseverance, set in America's heartland.

Praise for Finding Dorothy

"In some ways reminiscent of Jerry Stahl's excellent I, Fatty, Letts' Finding Dorothy combines exhaustive research with expansive imagination, blending history and speculation into a seamless tapestry. . . . It's a testament to Letts' skill that she can capture on the page, without benefit of audio, that same emotion we have all felt sometime over the last 80 years while listening to 'Over the Rainbow.'"--BookPage (starred review)

Customer Reviews

1 rating

Must read for "Oz" fans

This book will go into my collection. I am a huge "Wizard of Oz" fan!, It was fun to read what might have happen with Frank's wife and Judy Garland. Just like the movie I will revisit this book again!

Finding Dorothy Mentions in Our Blog

Finding Dorothy in The Fascinating Evolution of 'Wicked'
The Fascinating Evolution of 'Wicked'
Published by Ashly Moore Sheldon • November 10, 2024

The much-anticipated Wicked movie comes out soon and we're over the rainbow about it! The film finds its roots in L. Frank Baum's 1900 classic novel, but the yellow-brick road has taken a few twists and turns along the way. Let's take a look at the fascinating evolution of this tale. Also, we've put together a reading list for fans.

Finding Dorothy in Bookish Things Happening in 2019 to Be Excited About
Bookish Things Happening in 2019 to Be Excited About
Published by Beth Clark • January 03, 2019

Coming up in 2019: sequels, new novels, and LOTS of book to screen adaptations! Among other things. Here are just a few of the fantastic titles either coming out on the page or on the big or small screen to be excited about.

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