Rating: 5 Glorious Yellow Brick Road Stars

Okay, I think that this is my favorite book so far in 2019. It’s Historical Fiction which I normally really enjoy, and it features dual timeline stories. We get to meet Maud Gage Baum at both the beginning and towards the end of her life. Who knew that the wife of L. Frank Baum was so interesting? Certainly not I before I read this book, but the author, Elizabeth Letts, captivated me with Maud.

The story starts with tomboy Maud’s growing up years in upstate New York. Maud’s mother, Matilda Joslyn Gage, was one of the leading figures in the Suffragette movement. ‘Aunt’ Susan B Anthony was a frequent presence in their home, and Matilda was always concentrating on writing new tracts and articles to help move the Suffragette movement forward. Maud was one of the first females to go to Cornell University. Oh I must stop. This isn’t a book report! I’m failing to capture things that make the book so special.

Here’s what I loved about the book. I loved meeting Maud and watching her grow up. She chose to marry the dreamer and travelling theater owner, Frank Baum. She was certainly more patient with his wool-gathering ways than I probably would have been. They travel throughout the country including a several year stop in South Dakota. Along the way they have three boys, and sometimes it seems that Frank is just as much of a child as their kids. As portrayed, he’s certainly always a child at heart. They live hand-to-mouth until Frank writes down one of his stories which is published as ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’, and much to everyone’s surprise it becomes an instant sensation. It’s soon followed by other books in the series, and the now successful Baum’s move to Southern California to enjoy their later years in a warmer climate.

Now interleave Maud’s early story, with the Hollywood backstory of the filming of ‘The Wizard of Oz’ in 1938-1939. Maud wants to make sure that her late husband’s vision of Oz is portrayed correctly. At 78 years-old she refuses to be overrun by the studio system that is intent on denying her access to the film set. As she perseveres, she meets Judy Garland who is on the cusp of stardom, and who tries so hard to please everyone. It’s Judy’s voice, and that ‘rainbow’ song that was written for the movie that capture Maud’s attention. She works behinds the scenes to befriend Judy, and to get that special song included in the movie.

This is just a delicious book. Maud lived quite a life. She saw so many changes in the world from her birth in 1861, to the premier of ‘The Wizard of Oz’ in 1939. As told by the author, Maud was a bit of a no nonsense lady who was not afraid to stand up, or speak up for what she believed in. It was a treat to read about her own adventures which contributed to ‘Oz’, and to see how both the book, and the movie came to be. Bravo! I’m giving my standing ovation now.

‘Thank-You’ to NetGalley; the publisher, Ballantine Books; and the author, Elizabeth Letts; for providing a free e-ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This engrossing and heartwarming historical novel tells the story of Maud Baum, the wife of L. Frank Baum. The novel alternates between the filming of The Wizard of Oz in 1938 and Maud’s life leading up to her trip to Hollywood for the film. Maud, the daughter of a women’s suffragist attends Cornell in one of the first women’s classes. She meets Frank Baum through her roommate, a cousin of Franks. Maud is quickly swept off her feet, and despite her mother’s protests, she quits school to embark on a roller coaster life with the man she loves. Frank Baum brought the magical and imaginative into their lives and it was Maud who found herself trying to be the practical one. Now in 1938, the 77-year-old widow must travel to Hollywood to ensure the movie stays true to her husband’s ideals.

This is a delightful, poignant novel that tells the story and history behind this much-loved classic book as well as introducing the reader to Maud Baum herself. Fans of the Oz books or the movie (or fans of both) will delight in this depiction of how L. Frank Baum’s land of Oz came to be.

“Don’t let anybody steal your marbles.”

Maud Gage Baum is one of a kind. The godchild of Susan B. Anthony, child of first-wave feminist Matilda Joslyn Gage and an indulgent, progressively inclined father, she is unhampered by many of the traditional expectations that shackled women born during the American Civil War. But though her parents encourage her to develop her mind and talents, they have little prepared her for the wider world that greets her, and when she arrives at the women’s dormitory at Cornell University, she is considered peculiar by her classmates. She is a lonely young woman, until her roommate sets her up with Frank, an eccentric, clever man whose whimsy equals her own. My great thanks go to Net Galley and Random House Ballantine for the galley, which I received free in exchange for this honest review. It will be available to the public tomorrow, February 12, just in time to be wrapped in red paper and given to the bookworm you adore.

Maud’s story comes to us from two different time periods, one of which starts in 1871 during her childhood and moves forward in linear fashion, and the other in 1939, when she comes to the set where The Wizard of Oz is being filmed to fulfill her beloved Frank’s dying wish; he has asked her to look after Dorothy. And though it initially means gaining access to the studio through duplicitous means, Maude befriends the unhappy but massively talented Judy Garland, and advocates for the intention behind her character, sometimes successfully, sometimes not.

I love this book hard. It has an unusual appeal, not a thriller nor a grab-you-by-the-hair page turner, but rather a strangely comforting novel, one that offers us the chance to follow Maud to another time and another place. I read several books at a time, and this one became my bribe to myself, the reward I could look forward to after completing increments of other books that I wouldn’t abandon, yet didn’t love as I did this one.

How many times have I reviewed a book favorably yet with the caveat that it isn’t bedtime reading, and maybe not good for mealtime either? Listen up. This one is good for both. It will make you appreciate your meal as you move through the hungry years of the Depression, and as you read about poor Judy being starved with lettuce and cottage cheese, her penalty for reaching puberty when the studio wanted her to look like a scrawny waif. And at bedtime, even the sorrowful passages are wonderfully hypnotic.

The love story between Maud and Frank is one for the ages, and without Letts, who would have guessed? Midway through the story I felt the need to know how closely the author kept to the truth, and I skipped to the notes at the end. I am delighted to say that this writer did a great deal of research, and she tells the reader specifically where and when she departs from historical fact for the sake of the story. The way that the character of Dorothy is invented, based on a string of actual events from the Baums’ lives, is riveting, and in fact had the author not told us otherwise, I would have assumed that much of it was made up, because it’s almost too cool to be true.

Letts develops her characters subtly, with never a caricature or stereotype. Though her settings are well drawn, this is a character based book if ever I read one, and it must truly have been a labor of love. I’ve read a dozen books between this one and the present, yet this is the title that makes me smile.

This beautifully crafted story is bound to rank high among the year’s best historical novels. Sweet, soothing, and highly recommended.

As a child, I was utterly captivated by everything and anything related to the Wonderful Wizard of Oz. I dressed as Dorothy for Halloween, read all the Oz books, and watched the movie so often I practically had it memorized. If I could have found a way to fly off to Oz, I probably would have done that too. So, the fact that I love Finding Dorothy by Elizabeth Letts with my whole heart should surprise no one. It is – literally - the perfect book for me.

When seventy-eight-year-old Maud learns that The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the best-selling children's book written by her late husband Frank is being made into a major motion picture, she is over the moon with happiness. She considers this to be a testament to America's great love for Frank's work, and she's determined to see that the cast and crew do the book justice. To this end, she begins spending time on the set where she meets sixteen-year-old Judy Garland, the girl responsible for bringing the iconic character of Dorothy to life on the big screen.

It immediately becomes clear to Maud that life isn't all sunshine and rainbows for Judy. Her mother is extremely controlling, and the producer and director of the film have very strict ideas about every facet of Judy's life. They tell her what she can eat, who she can and cannot socialize with, and they even dictate the kind of roles she will play once The Wizard of Oz is finished. Maud feels an instant connection with Judy, a connection that prompts her to do everything she can to make sure Judy is treated with kindness and respect. No one, including Maud herself, understands the soul deep connection between these two very different women, but as the story unfolds, things begin to make sense to the reader.

Maud grew up as the youngest daughter of one of America's leading suffragettes. Nothing was more important to Maud's mother than women's rights, and Maud knew from a very early age that she was expected to go to college and make something of herself. There didn't seem to be any room in her plans for things like love and marriage. At first, Maud has no problem living up to her mother's expectations, but when she meets and falls in love with L. Frank Baum, everything changes, and Maud must stand firm against her mother's displeasure if she and Frank are ever to have a life together.

Marriage to Frank doesn't turn out to be quite the fairy tale existence Maud expected. Frank loves being in the spotlight, and it's obvious he'd love nothing more than to make a living as an actor. Unfortunately, the theater company he opens falls on hard times, and Frank is forced to become a traveling salesman. He struggles to be content with his new job, and Maud tries her hardest to be the kind and supportive wife she thinks Frank deserves.

Finding Dorothy is one of those rare gems capable of transporting me out of my everyday life and into a completely different time and place. The portions of the story that take place on the set of The Wizard of Oz were my favorites, but I was also struck by the deep and abiding love Frank and Maud shared. This is a beautiful love story filled with characters who practically sparkle with life, set in a period of history I simply couldn't get enough of.

Maud is a fantastic heroine, and I loved watching her come into her own. At first, she's under her mother's control and I was a little worried that Frank would dominate her once they were married, but that didn't end up being the case. Maud gave up a lot in order to be Frank's wife, but I never got the impression she regretted her decision to marry him. She is strong and resilient, the kind of female role model today's young women could learn a lot from. She was Frank's life partner, his equal even though the customs of the time expected her to be content to live her life in the background.

If you love The Wizard of Oz, or if books about the early days of Hollywood are your catnip, Finding Dorothy is the book for you. It's not mysterious and magical in the way that Oz is, but it's a book that speaks to the all-consuming power of love in all its many forms, making this novel one I'm more than happy to recommend to readers everywhere.

Buy it at: Amazon/Apple Books/Barnes & Noble/Kobo
Visit our Amazon Storefront

This is a very entertaining book about the woman behind the man who wrote “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”.’ - Maud Baum.. Based on historical facts, this is a dual time period story — Maud’s growing up years and subsequent marriage to L. Frank Baum, and the making of “The Wizard of Oz” movie in 1938. A thoroughly enjoyable read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader’s copy of this book.

This is perfect for fans of the Wizard of Oz as it's an interesting combination of the story of Maud Gage Baum and a little insight into the making of the movie. Told in dual time line, it tracks Maud's introduction and marriage to Frank and how she dealt with the studio when she heard the movie was being made. I'm likely an outlier here but I would have preferred more focus on Maud and the family, who were less familiar to me (well, not at all familiar) than Judy Garland and the others. Maud and her sister (oh her poor sister) did not have easy lives (what exactly was wrong with their father?) and they did not live up to their mother Matilda's expectations. This is really about the lead up to Frank's completion of the first book- and you will follow the family as they move from town to town. The afterword explains a bit of what came after the book was published. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read for fans of the genre.

This was a wonderful look into the life of the L. Frank Baum family, the writing of the Wizard of Oz and the making of the movie. While this is historical fiction, it was obvious that the author spent a lot of time researching what went into the book and I greatly appreciated it.

I have always loved The Wizard of Oz and was so happy to read more about how it came to be. From the tough times L. Frank Baum's family went through as he searched for his niche in the world to Maude's childhood and her mother's huge impact on the women's suffragette movement, I was drawn in and just didn't want it to end.

I've mentioned before that I'm not usually a fan of historical fiction, but this book and another I read recently (The Beantown Girls) may have changed that for me. I have already purchased copies of this for friends and can't seem to help recommending it to others.

This author has a gift. She truly made me feel like I was there during the events of this book and I will definitely be reading more of her work.

Thank you so very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for allowing me an ARC at my request. My thoughts of on this novel are my own.

I have been on a roll for 2019, making multiple 5 star wise choices in my book reading, and I think I have just found a book that will go all the way to my top two favorite books ever. This was not my first Elizabeth Letts book, and it will certainly not be my last.
Watching the Wizard of Oz has been a yearly event for me since I was a small child in the 60’s, I would anxiously await for the yellow brick road to turn yellow in “technicolor”, always had to close my eyes on the monkeys, anytime I hear, “I’m melting, I’m melting”, I picture a black hat, but not once did I ever wonder how L. Frank Baum had come up with the story. Even though this book is based on true facts, with parts from Elizabeth’s creative mind and supposition, it reads as a non-fiction, and I absolutely fell in love with Maud Baum at “hello”, what a feisty old gal.
I adored this book, will read it again and maybe again, I cannot recommend highly enough, this story has it all, it is a true lifelong love story between Maud and Frank, it has loss, sacrifice, reality, creativity, tenacity and most of all, magic. This is an awesome, beautiful story. I have already recommended it to many of my friends and bring it up in general conversations. I most of all loved Maud’s down to earth, rational thinking, I am exactly the same type of person. What a magical book, I will enjoy my yearly watching of The Wizard of Oz even more now. I thank you, Ms. Letts from the bottom of my heart for allowing us the opportunity to read this fine tale. You have a talent, a wonderful talent.
I was graciously allowed an advanced copy from Random House Publishing through Net Galley for my honest review, this one is a high, really high 5****’s. Excellent read, would recommend to anyone that loves the movie, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Juxtaposition of stories, of L. Frank and Maud Baum’s marriage and of the making of The Wizard of Oz movie makes an interesting contrast in time periods and details of the beloved classic movie. What the reader discovers is the intended story as written and the version we have seen and remember. To a life-long fan of the movie, this is mesmerizing reading.

This is a well-written and insightful story revealing the characters and relationship between L. Frank Baum, author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and his wife Maud. Starting with their humble beginnings, and ending with Maud trying to ensure that the making of the film in 1939 stays true to Frank’s vision. I found the book to be interesting and enlightening as it provided a glimpse into their lives and the creativity that led to his masterpiece book.

One way I know I thoroughly enjoyed a book is that, when I finish, I can't stop digging for more information. That's exactly what happened when I finished "Finding Dorothy" by Elizabeth Letts. I needed to know more about the characters, about the production of "Wizard of Oz," about Matilda Gage. I was glad for the author's note and appreciated her recommendations for further reading. I can't stop thinking about the book.

The story follows the wife of L. Frank Baum, author of "Wizard of Oz", through her early days growing up the daughter of a suffragette, then when she marries Baum and raises a family, and finally as an older woman as the "Wizard of Oz" movie is being produced. The story alternates between time but flows so beautifully.

I loved how much time and research Letts put into building her dynamic characters. The descriptions were so well written that it was easy to visualize the story. I felt as though I was in the room with Maud, both at home with her in the 1880s and on set with her in the 1930s. It was well-written and incredibly enjoyable.

Such an interesting read - historical fiction about the story of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and the life of L. Frank Baum. I loved the entire story; how the beloved Oz series came to be written, who the character of Dorothy was based on, the fight for women's freedoms, alongside Maud's intention to be sure the movie stayed true to her husband's vision. It is a work of fiction based on historical events, and the author states which parts she took liberties with at the end. I found this to be an entirely delightful story. The vocabulary intrigued me, as well. The story is full of old-fashioned turn-of-the-century Victorian phrases which give the storyline an even more authentic feel.

The story opens with Maud (Gage) Baum trying to speak with Louis B. Mayer about the casting of the role of Dorothy Gale in MGMs 1939 movie based on the The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Maude is 77 and not afraid to voice her opinion; she promised Frank before his death in 1919 that she would keep Oz true to the story. It travels back and forth from 1939 as the movie is being made throughout Maud's life, beginning when she was just 9 years old. Maud's mother was a famous suffragist who marched alongside her dear friend Susan B. Anthony, and Maud was raised to believe that she could do anything she set her mind to. Her life and marriage to Frank was long and happy, but they did experience ups and downs in their lives. Frank's occupation did not always provide a stable income, but the family made due.

Maud Gage was born to a comfortable existence in upstate New York, and she attended Cornell University just a few years after women were allowed to attend. As a native New Yorker myself, I loved reading about the places Frank, Maud, and their families lived; Fayetteville, Syracuse, Chittenango, Mattydale, Ithaca. It made the story hit a little closer to home, somehow.

Some books get you from the first page and some books slowly grow on you over the course of the book. This one was a slow grower. But a slow growing book always leaves me thinking for days after I read it. This book is the story behind the Wizard of Oz but it is not exactly how you would picture it. I remember as a kid being very excited each year when the network would broadcast the movie. This was long before video streaming, dvds, or even VCRs. As much as I loved the movie, I knew very little of L. Frank Baum and nothing about his wife Maud. This book is a good mix about their lives and the birth of the Wizard of Oz. Elizabeth Letts does a great job moving through the years of their lives and hand picking the pieces that help you understand the true meaning behind the Wizard of Oz. I don't think I will every watch this movie with the same eyes again. Make sure to read the author's notes at the end of the book to get some closure on some of the other characters. Thank you Net Galley for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was such an amazing book! I laughed, I cried, I was immersed in the world of Oz. Maud was a truly inspiring character and joining her on her journey with Frank was truly wonderful and magical.

My 2019 year of reading is off to a wonderful start partly because of this wonderful book! This is such an original story that I couldn’t wait to start reading and I was not disappointed. I worried that my love of The Wizard of Oz movie would influence how I liked the book but if anything it improved my experience because when Maud, our main character, is talking about the making of the movie and the scenes that were being filmed, I could remember each and every one of them.

From the blurb you know that this novel is written from the point of view of Maud Gage Baum, wife of L. Frank Baum, the author of The Wizard of Oz. There are two time frames, one starting in the 1870’s when Maud and Frank are young, married, very poor and raising their family of four boys. The other time frame takes place during the taping of the movie around 1939.

Maud was the daughter of a Matilda Baum a leading voice for women’s rights, Susan B Anthony and Elizabeth Stanton were frequent visitors in their home. Matilda wanted her daughter to be independent, well educated and have a life of her own continuing to carry out her mother’s work for women’s rights. When Maud was introduced to Frank by her college roommate they quickly fell in love. Matilda was so upset with Maud marrying a “theater man” (actor) that she never spoke to her again after their marriage.

Maud and Frank started their marriage living in Dakota starting various start up businesses that never seemed to take off. One, a fantastical sounding children’s toy store, was said to contain just about any toy that a child could wish for. The store did well for some time but when the town fell on hard times Frank was forced to sell the store and go to work as a salesman. Maud took in sewing to keep a home for the boys and food on the table.

During this time she tried to help her sister Julia who had married a hard headed and perhaps abusive husband. She lived quite far away but they did visit occasionally and Maud was in love her with little niece, who is quite probably Frank’s inspiration for Dorothy, right down to the blue gingham dress that Maud sewed for her. Throughout all of their hard times Frank always found ways to make things “magical” for his children with his wit and imaginative play interactions.

The second time line takes place during the filming of the movie where Maud tries to keep the leaders of MGM to keep true to her husband’s story. She befriends Judy Garland whom she quickly sees is being treated terribly. Her mother along with the director keep Judy on diet pills so that she won’t grow out of the part since she is reaching puberty. She is also encouraged to smoke cigarettes to tame her hunger and was even slapped in the face when she couldn’t stop laughing in a part of the filming. I already knew where this beginning addiction let the singer/actress and was ashamed that it was her mother who encouraged this behavior.

I did feel a connection to Maud, I liked her ability to always find “the silver lining” and make the most of what the family had to stay happy. Later I loved her strength and tenacity to try to help Judy through the tough times during filming. It was interesting learning so many things about the original Wizard of Oz. Frank never wanted anything to scare children in his books and there was no wicked witch in his story. Oz was supposed to be a wonderland that children could escape to when things were sad or difficult for them. Of note is the fact that the studio almost cut Over the Rainbow because they thought it was too long! There is much to discover in this book.

I encourage everyone to read this book and if by chance you have never watched the movie, please do so, it is a treasured movie icon.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publishers through NetGalley. The book is set to publish February 12, 2019.


Will post review to Amazon upon publication.

This book was beyond amazing!! It's everything I thought it was going to be and more!! Elizabeth did such an amazing job with her research and living The Wizard of Oz through her eyes was an incredible treat!!

Thanks to Random House- Ballantine Publishing for granting my wish to read Elizabeth Lett’s historical fiction novel Finding Dorothy. This book is such delightful treat. I was a huge fun of Frank L. Baum’s Wizard of Oz book series and The Wizard of Oz movie when I was growing up. The book transports us back in time not only giving us a glimpse of the author through his wife Maude but then a peak into the studio production as Maude tries to influence the movie to stay true to her deceased husband’s vision. Maud is a spunky character herself and her stubborn realistic will is a great counterpart to her husband’s fantastical creativity. My favorite part is Lett’s interpretation of the creation of Dorothy being inspired by Auntie Em (Maude) and her relationship with her niece and the parallel development of elderly Maud’s relationship with Judy Garland (Dorothy). The historical fiction aspects are spot on as well. I feel like I can see history through the eyes of a young feminist in the U.S. through the end of 1800s and the beginning of the 20th century as well as a tantalizing glimpse into movie-making in Hollywood in the 1930s. This year is the 80th anniversary of the 1939 release of The Wizard of Oz and I was lucky to get to see a rebroadcast on the big screen at a local movie theater. I would recommend watching the movie before and after reading Finding Dorothy. I can’t recommend this book enough.

Like many people before me, I loved The Wizard of Oz as a kid. I watched that movie a billion times, and even though it left me with a lasting fear of tornadoes, it also inspired so much imagination in me and was a significant part of my childhood. I went through a phase where I dressed as Dorothy for Halloween and wore red slippers around my house, and then a phase were I realized the Wicked Witch was even cooler as a character and I insisted that my face had to be painted green on Halloween and I needed a pointy hat and cloak. Also, my sister and I used to call those munchkin donut holes from Dunkin' Donuts "Dorothy Donuts" and I still, 15 years later, find myself calling them that in my head whenever I see them at a meeting or brought to class.

All that is to say, I'm pretty familiar with Oz, but I had never once, in all my years, thought about the man behind the curtain: L. Frank Baum. When this book popped up on Netgalley a few months ago and I saw that it was all about Maud Baum, Frank's wife, and that it focused on her life growing up, her marriage to Frank, and her relationship to Judy Garland during the filming of Oz, I knew I had to have it immediately. I LOVE historical fiction, and this book seemed right up my alley.

As it turned out, this book exceeded all expectations. Maud had an absolutely fascinating life and it was hard to put this book down because I was so curious to know more. From being raised by Matilda Gage, one of the leading suffragettes of the 19th century, to being one of the first female students at Cornell University, her youth just seemed so different from that of many other historical women I've read about from that time period. Maud seemed full of personality and spunk, and all of that shone through in Elizabeth Letts' descriptions of her.

Her marriage to Frank was incredibly interesting to read about, too. They had their many ups and downs and struggled with money during the early years of their marriage, but it was so refreshing and completely warmed my heart to see how well the two worked together. I've read a lot of books about the wives of famous authors and am usually disappointed to read about the way many of these famous men abuse or manipulate or control the women in their lives (**I'm looking at you, Hemingway and Fitzgerald**), but Frank and Maud's relationship seemed to be an actual partnership. Letts does a very good job capturing that in this book: you can absolutely see how much Frank and Maud struggled at times and that they had their fights about money and Frank's work, but there's never any question that the two care deeply for each other, and that Maud was always Frank's equal.

Finally, I loved that this book was an ode to both a classic book and a classic film: Frank was inspired by many actual events in his life and Maud's life when he created Oz, and all of that is referenced in this book. There are also chapters that flash forward to the future, in 1939, when Maud visits the set of The Wizard of Oz. In these chapters, there's some "behind-the-scenes" details about the filming of the movie and Maud strikes up a relationship with a young Judy Garland, who experiences her own struggles on set. As the author's note explains, almost all of this book is based entirely on real facts, which makes the historical details that much more meaningful. It's a huge pet peeve of mine when books take too many historical liberties, so I LOVE that I found another author who tries to stay true to history while still crafting a compelling story.

All in all: this book is for Wizard of Oz fans of all ages and is a wonderful ode to both the classic book and film. It's all wrapped up in a story about fascinating and powerful women, and a marriage and life that I couldn't wait to find out more about as I read it.

"Now, almost twenty years after her husband's death, many people didn't recognize his name, but was there anyone, big or small, who didn't know Dorothy and the Scarecrow, the tin man and the Lion?"

Who hasn't seen the Wizard of Oz? Anyone? I know that I still watch it at least once a year! Finding Dorothy tells the story of the making of The Wizard of Oz and the story of Maud Gage Baum (the widow of the Author) and her life with her husband, Frank Baum (L. Frank Baum). The Struggles they faced during their marriage, their love, and Frank's writing of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

This book is told in two time-lines - Maud and Frank's life together and later when Maud goes to Hollywood and is on set and strikes up a relationship with Judy Garland during the filming of The Wizard of Oz. I learned many interesting facts while reading this book - the ruby red shoes I coveted as a child, were not meant to be red, Emerald City was not green, they almost cut "Somewhere over the Rainbow" out of the movie and that Judy Garland was slapped, forced to go every other day without food, had to smoke 80 cigarettes a day and took pills to suppress her appetite and then those to help her sleep. Judy won an Academy Award for her performance and walked away with a drug problem.

Maud was a formidable woman and stood up for Garland and became friends with her. Through the course of the filming, when not sticking up for Garland, she was fighting with producers to keep true to her husband's work. She was spunky and not afraid to speak her mind and speak up when she saw something which wasn't right. She was, after-all, the daughter of a famous women's suffrage and feminist activist.

This started a little slow for me and I found myself picking up other books, but then it hooked me! I appreciated the dual timelines and learning about Maud's earlier life. It is a shame that L. Frank Baum never lived to see his work made into a movie. A former actor and theater man, I imagine he would have been proud of the movie and of his wife for becoming involved and being there during the filming.

I am finding that I am enjoying reading the Afterword of books more and more and this book was no exception. The Author tells how as a young girl she wanted to be like Dorothy “...one who could stare down a lion, melt a witch, tame a wizard." She also shares more history on Frank and Maud Baum and her quest to learn more about the movie and her motivation to write this book.

This is an enjoyable book that I am sure fans of the movie (and the book) will enjoy. I learned a lot and it was fun to see place I know, and have been to, talked about in this book.

I appreciated how the Author took real people and used real events and facts from their lives to write this book. This is a book that has heart and is a lovely tribute to an iconic and well-loved movie and the story behind the movie. The Story of how the book came to be, the story of a man who dreamed of a better place, full of interesting characters. This is the story of dreamers, of actors, of writers, of couples, of family and of Oz.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions are my own.

Having recently finished “Finding Dorothy” by Elizabeth Letts, I am happy to have had the chance for the preview; thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books!

What an wonderful story! Alternating timelines give a fascinating fictional (although based on well researched historical facts) glimpse into the making of the movie, The Wizard of Oz, and the life of Maud Baum, widow of the author of the classic "modernized fairy tale". The story took me a bit to warm up to, but once the blue gingham fabric and pigtails showed up in Dakota Territory, it was hard to set the book down. The afterword was another favorite part of this book for me as it was full of information gathered during the research for the story. After finishing the final page, Ms. Letts gave me one of my favorite things with the book Finding Dorothy: the desire to keep reading to discover more!