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)
Author - Elizabeth Letts
Number of Pages - 384
Format - Trade Pbk
Publisher - Ballantine Group
Published - 2019-12-03
"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)
Author - Elizabeth Letts
Number of Pages - 384
Format - Trade Pbk
Publisher - Ballantine Group
Published - 2019-12-03
Additional Information
- SKN: 479611
- ID: 443D1977
- UPC: 9780525622116
- MFR Number: 5622116
- Ship to Quebec: Yes
- Toysrus Recommended Age: 14 - 20 years
- Language: English
Assembly
- Item Height: 1.00 inches
- Item Length: 7.95 inches
- Item Weight: 0.73 lbs
- Item Width: 5.20 inches
<ul id="BVSEOSDK_meta" style="display: none !important;">
<li data-bvseo="sdk">bvseo_sdk, dw_cartridge, 18.2.0, p_sdk_3.2.0</li>
<li data-bvseo="sp_mt">CLOUD, getReviews, 6ms</li>
<li data-bvseo="ct_st">reviews, product</li>
<li data-bvseo="ms">bvseo-msg: Unsuccessful GET. status = 'ERROR', msg = 'Not Found.'; Unsuccessful GET. status = 'ERROR', msg = 'Not Found.';</li>
</ul>
<ul id="BVSEOSDK_meta" style="display: none !important;">
<li data-bvseo="sdk">bvseo_sdk, dw_cartridge, 18.2.0, p_sdk_3.2.0</li>
<li data-bvseo="sp_mt">CLOUD, getContent, 20ms</li>
<li data-bvseo="ct_st">questions, product</li>
<li data-bvseo="ms">bvseo-msg: Unsuccessful GET. status = 'ERROR', msg = 'Not Found.';</li>
</ul>
SKN: 479611
Website Price:
$23.00
- Out of Stock
Free Store Pickup
Home Delivery:
Delivery postal code:
L4K 5R5
Get it Fast
Ship to an Address
Enter postal code to see availability
Currently Credit Card is the only form of payment supported for pre-orders.
Nearest Stores
Selected Store
Free Shipping. Shop Toys”R”Us, Babies”R”Us & The HMV Shop in 1 easy checkout!
Our recommended Age: 14 - 20 years