Book
Finding Dorothy : a novel / Elizabeth Letts.
"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. 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"-- Provided by publisher.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780525622109 (hardcover)
- Physical Description: 351 pages ; 25 cm
- Edition: First edition.
- Publisher: New York : Ballantine Books, [2019]
- Copyright: ©2019
Content descriptions
| Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references. |
Search for related items by subject
| Subject: | Baum, Maud Gage > Fiction. Baum, L. Frank (Lyman Frank), 1856-1919 > Fiction. |
| Genre: | Biographical fiction. Historical fiction. |
Available copies
- 1 of 1 copy available at Tsuga Consortium.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stroud Branch | LP FIC Letts | 31681010138261 | LARGEPT | Available | - |
- Baker & Taylor
"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. Hollywood, 1938: As soon as she learns that M-G-M is adapting her latehusband'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"-- - Baker & Taylor
Reimagines the story behind the creation of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" from the perspective of L. Frank Baum's intrepid wife, Maud, whose hardscrabble life on the Dakota prairie inspires her husband's masterpiece and her advocacy of an exploited Judy Garland. - Baker & Taylor
Reimagines the story behind the creation of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz from the perspective of L. Frank Baum's intrepid wife, whose hardscrabble life on the Dakota prairie inspires her husband's masterpiece and her advocacy of an exploited Judy Garland. - Random House, Inc.
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 Baumâs intrepid wife, Maud.
âA breathtaking read that will transport you over the rainbow and into the heart of one of Americaâs most enduring fairy tales.ââLisa Wingate, author of Before We Were Yours
Hollywood, 1938: As soon as she learns that M-G-M is adapting her late husbandâs masterpiece for the screen, seventy-seven-year-old Maud Gage Baum sets about trying to finagle her way onto the set. Nineteen years after Frankâs passing, Maud is the only person who can help the producers stay true to the spirit of the bookâbecause sheâs the only one left who knows its secrets.
But the moment she hears Judy Garland rehearsing the first notes of âOver the Rainbow,â Maud recognizes the yearning that defined her own life story, from her youth as a suffragetteâs 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 herâthe 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 Lettsâs journey into the amazing lives of Frank and Maud Baum. Written as fiction but based closely on the truth, Elizabeth Lettsâs new book tells a story of love, loss, inspiration, and perseverance, set in Americaâs heartland.
Praise for Finding Dorothy
âIn some ways reminiscent of Jerry Stahlâs excellent I, Fatty, Lettsâ Finding Dorothy combines exhaustive research with expansive imagination, blending history and speculation into a seamless tapestry. . . . Itâs a testament to Lettsâ 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 âOver the Rainbow.âââBookPage (starred review)
