I’m sure most of us have seen The Wizard of Oz (and/or read L. Frank Baum’s classic novel on which it’s based), but how many of us have stopped to think about what happened to the characters before the story began? Why was Dorothy living with her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry? Who were her real parents? And how did the family come to be in Kansas in the first place? In Hazel Gaynor’s new novel, Before Dorothy, she sets out to answer these questions and more.
The book is written from the perspective of Emily Gale – Aunt Em – and begins in 1932 as she returns to Chicago following the death of her sister, Annie. Annie’s seven-year-old daughter, Dorothy, has been left an orphan and Emily and her husband, Henry, are to become her legal guardians. Emily hasn’t seen Dorothy since she was a baby – she and Henry now live in Kansas and her relationship with Annie has been very strained in recent years – and she’s not at all sure she’s the right person to care for a child, particularly one who has suffered the trauma of losing her parents. Once back in Kansas, however, Emily gradually begins to feel a stronger bond with Dorothy than she’d expected.
Moving backwards and forwards in time, we watch as Emily and Annie, originally from Connemara in Ireland, first arrive in Chicago in 1924 and meet their respective husbands, cousins Henry and John Gale. We also see how Emily makes the decision to start a new life with Henry in Kansas and what she discovers when she gets there. The focus is always on Emily rather than Dorothy and unlike the Baum novel and its adaptations, the story is firmly grounded in reality rather than fantasy.
I tend not to read many books that are spin-offs of classics or that borrow other authors’ characters and I only chose to read this one because I’ve enjoyed some of Hazel Gaynor’s previous work. I wasn’t sure I would like it, but I did – although I think it would probably have worked just as well if it had simply been a novel about an original fictional family living on the prairie, with no connection to the Gales. It was fun spotting the references to The Wizard of Oz, though. The scarecrow, tin man and lion all appear, as do the wizard, witches (good and wicked), the tornado and many more – although not necessarily in the form you would expect! Gaynor manages to work these references into the story in a way that feels believable and not too forced.
What I liked best about this book, though, was the portrayal of life on the prairie – the sense of adventure and optimism Emily and Henry feel when they first arrive, followed by a growing awareness that things are going to be much more difficult than they’d expected. With an influx of people coming to the Great Plains in large numbers to farm the land, there’s eventually a surplus of wheat, too much to be sold, leading to a drop in prices. Worse, the overexploitation of the land and removal of the prairie grasses, combined with a prolonged drought, causes severe dust storms (known as the Dust Bowl). The hardships and challenges faced by the Gales, as well as the environmental disaster unfolding around them, forms a big part of the novel.
I’m sure a lot of the people who read this book will have been drawn to it by the links with The Wizard of Oz, but even if that doesn’t appeal to you I think there’s still enough here to make it an enjoyable work of historical fiction in its own right.
Thanks to HarperCollins for providing a copy of this book for review via NetGalley.
She Reads Novels 
Interesting…. Like you I’m not all that attracted to spin-offs (which honestly tend to be VERY hit & miss – mostly miss) but this does sound suitably different. I haven’t read ‘Oz’ yet but its presently sitting in a pile of other Classics that I’m constantly intending to ‘get around to’…
It’s quite an imaginative book and she finds some creative ways to work the Oz references into the story. As for the classic novel, I did read it as a child but can hardly remember it, except I think I was disappointed that it wasn’t more like the film! I should probably re-read it one day.
It sounds like she could have just written this as a historical fiction novel without any ties to the Oz books. But I guess she’s trying to take advantage of Wicked’s popularity. I grew up reading and loving all of the Oz books, so I don’t always love other author’s takes on those characters. L. Frank Baum did them best imo. But I do like Gaynor’s writing and might give this one a try. 😀
It would definitely have worked as just a straight historical novel set in Kansas, although it was fun seeing all the Oz references in the story. I think I’ve only ever read the first Oz book – maybe I should try some of the others!
This book begins in 1932? But the Wizard of Oz was published in 1900 thus has nothing to do with the Dust Bowl! I think the author must have patterned the book after the film, which came out in 1939, and would have been more relevant. Yet another example of someone who thinks seeing the film substitutes for reading the book. Did she actually think no one would notice?
I think she intended this to be a historical novel inspired by the Oz characters rather than a direct prequel to the L Frank Baum book. That’s the impression I got from an interview she gave about the book, anyway.
Hmm, the idea of this book doesn’t grab me at all, but I am interested in life on the prairie.
The prairie setting was the most interesting thing about this book. It didn’t really need all the Oz references – it could have been a good story without them.
Yes, that’s what it sounds like to me.
And I haven’t tried to read The Wizard of Oz in a long time, but it isn’t much like the movie. I wonder which she is referencing.
This does seem like a weird one; like you, I’m not sure why the Oz connection was necessary. I devoured the Oz books as a kid and Return to Oz was also a favourite film (still is!).
I loved Return to Oz as a kid as well, but was terrified of the Wheelers!
Oh god they were terrifying but for me the worst bit was Mombi and her heads!
I like the sound of this book! Like you, I am sometimes wary with spin-offs from classic books or favourite books, but I think this one would be interesting. I have added it to my looong TBR. 😅📚
I think I could be tempted by this book at some point!
Thanks for sharing this review with the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge.
It’s entertaining, particularly if you like The Wizard of Oz!
Hello Helen, I am glad you enjoyed this one 🙂 I will keep this one in mind to read, because I love the Wizard of Oz musical and I loved reading The Cottingley Secret by Hazel Gaynor.
Blessings, Jessica 💌
I think you would enjoy it – it was fun spotting all the little references to The Wizard of Oz!