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)
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Wonderful book that explains another one!!
The author really did her research concerning Maude Baum and her family. Enlightening work about the original Oz series of books and the movie adaptation of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. A must read for any fan Oz fan!
I adore historical fiction. I think it’s so much easier to absorb names and dates and locations when they’re woven with people who come alive in a wonderful story. And Elizabeth Letts does exactly that with Finding Dorothy. Here we discover Maud Gage and the many twists and turns of her journey with her husband Frank Baum, a wonderfully creative and inventive man with such a kind heart. Their winding path alone would make a lovely story. But the magic of this book is in the little connections to that tale we all know and love, The Wizard of Oz, and the famous song Over the Rainbow (one of my all-time favorites). Letts does an amazing job of making those connections seem effortless, as if they just came out of thin air. And isn’t that what magic is all about? I’ve watched The Wizard of Oz on TV many times, fascinated by the artistry and the technicolor, and, of course, rooting for Dorothy all the way. That film has always touched my heart. But reading this book gives me so much more understanding into the why’s and wherefore’s and the trials and tribulations of making the movie. I cried at the end, quite a bit, and now I can’t wait to watch the movie and cheer Dorothy on.
Not much insight into the wizard of oz
I loved this book! It adds an entirely new dimension to both the books and movie associated with “The Wizard of Oz, as well as a new appreciation for Judy Garland.
Enjoyed this fictional take on the family of L. Frank Baum who wrote The Wizard of Oz.
If you have been a fan of the Wizard of Oz, this book is for you. It is a wonderful story about Frank Baum’s wife. Frank Baum was the author of the Wizard of Oz. The reader learns so much about how the story came to be as well as the shooting and making of the actual movie. Thoroughly enjoyable.
Thoroughly plausible back-story behind the creation of the Wizard of Oz book, characters, and movie! Tons of period history and heartache! If you love the iconic movie, you’ll relish this novel.
The story of Maud Baum and her involvement in the making of the movie The Wizard of Oz is a wonderfu!, imaginative novel.
Nicely written, I really enjoyed it!
This is a fictionalized version of the life of L. Frank Baum and his wife; how they met, their life together, and after he died and The Wizard of Oz was being made how his wife , Maud, was involved in the filming and her interactions with the young Judy Garland. Maud wants to make sure the film is exactly how her husband would have wanted it to be shown on the big screen. She becomes enamored of the teenage Judy Garland and feels a fierce protectiveness over her as Maud’s sister had a daughter whom Maud and Frank wanted to adopt due to the harsh life she had to live out in the prairies of the Dakotas while growing up. It just so happened Maud’s niece had a make believe friend named Dorothy.
This was entertaining and heartwarming but not always happy. It is intriguing to look into the backwoods of how the movie was made, especially how men treated women then. If there’s any truth to this part then Judy Garland was manipulated and abused in more ways than one. This story is also tragic in aspects, and reminiscent about that time period. The ending is a bit abrupt which was the only thing I did’t like about this book.
It was so interesting to find out where Baum’s ideas for characters and events came from in The Wizard of Oz book and movie.
Made me want to know more about Wizard of Oz which I always like in a book to inspire me to hit the library for more information………….
Very engaging book! Great historic facts and interesting story.
I enjoyed this story told from the point of view of L. Frank Baum’s wife, a woman who also was the daughter of a suffragette. The story line went back and forth between Mrs. Baum’s early years and her time as an older woman during the filming of The Wizard of Oz, while on a self-appointed mission to see the film held true to her husband’s legacy. Of particular interest to me were the chapters where Mrs. Baum met with some of the film’s actors.
Anybody who loved “The Wizard of Oz” movie will love this. Although it is fiction, it is well-researched about the lives of real people. It is always wonderful to find out about how real-life people lived and dreamed and how this affected their lives and choices. “Finding Dorothy” by Elizabeth Letts is an entertaining book which is also inspirational, tragic, insightful, and a great read. Do not miss it!
My two daughters and I are serious Wizard of Oz Fans. This is fiction, but it is based on factual information. I thoroughly enjoyed it and plan to buy copies for both of my daughters.
Who doesn’t love the wonderful Wizard of Oz! This gives insight into the man and his creative thinking. And then the making of the movie. It is historical fiction but has a lot of facts to create the story.
Another good historical fiction read. The story of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a favorite of mine and this books has me yearning to watch the film. I loved the character of Maud and this telling of her life is so endearing. To have the family’s life being told throughout fills in some of the past wrongs this society has faced. The author has made such vivid memories within the pages.
I am a HUGE Wizard of Oz fan, so of course I had to read this. I wasn’t disappointed! The author was spot-on moving from time era time era, and filling in specific details that are already known. The hints dropped throughout the book that became part of the legend of “Wizard” were delightful. I enjoyed learning more about L. Frank Baum, he is brilliant in my mind, and to read all his ups and downs–even more so to me. Fascinating the tie in for Maud and Matilda! What a look at history I would never have imagined, this book was for me! Wonderful