3.5 stars rounded up.

“ The Wizard of Oz “ has been one of my favorite movies for more years than I’m willing to admit. I’ve seen it so many times that I can recite a lot of the dialogue by heart. I have to admit, though, that I have never read the book and having read this novel makes me want to read it. If I had read the book, I would have known that the ruby slippers weren’t red and that Oz is not emerald green, among other things. I just knew that this book would evoke nostalgic feelings and it did. It also brings to light some of things that happened behind the scenes during the filming of the movie and brings us the back story of L. Frank Baum. But this really in so many ways is the story of his wife Maud Gage Baum.

Through Maud’s story, we come to know the origin of the book, and the personal lives of the Baums in a dual time line narrative from Maud’s early life starting in 1871 to the Hollywood of 1939. It was so interesting to see the behind the scenes story of the movie, but so sad to see the workings of the Hollywood machine and how Judy Garland was treated at age 15. She was given pills to help her lose weight, pills to help her sleep, 80 cigarettes a day to help with her diet, slapped in the face when she couldn’t stop giggling during a scene with the Cowardly Lion. So sad, as we know what eventually happens with Judy Garland with addiction. The manipulation and abuse of a young girl, illustrates the lengths that the studio executives would go to insure success. Though Maud’s role here may be the most fictionalized part, I loved her tenacity and perseverance in trying to insure that the movie reflected her husband’s vision and her desire to take care of Judy Garland. I have to say that the part of the book that I found most engaging was the making of the movie, although Maud’s earlier life lays the groundwork for the toughness she exhibits in 1939.

I always enjoy knowing the seed for a story, what prompted the author to write a particular story. Loved reading in the afterward, how seeing the movie for the first time at 4 years old ignited her love and connection to Dorothy and then reading it to her son made her wonder about Baum. Seeing a photograph of Maud Baum and Judy Garland taken in 1939 is when she says “I realized I had found a story.” This appears to be very well researched, and while Letts says she altered some dates and names, she says “most of my story is based on known historical fact”, consulting “biographies and diaries, letters and photographs.” Recommended to others who loved the book or movie as I still do.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Ballantine Books through NetGalley.

This is a fascinating historical novel about the writing of the book THE WIZARD OF OZ and L. Frank Baum and his family. Ms. Letts skillfully moves back and forth between 1938-39, during the making and premier of the movie, and 1871-1900, during the lives of author Frank Baum and his wife Maud. The story comes primarily from Maud Baum, as she recounts her early life with her mother, a suffragette, her father, a storekeeper, and her older sister. When Maud meets and falls in love with Frank Baum, a theater man, her mother is not pleased, as she feels Frank’s prospects are not good. In the 1938-39 sections, Maud is determined to protect the book as it gets turned into a movie. At the same time, she is drawn to Judy Garland, a 16-year-old actress with a magnificent singing voice and low self-esteem.

Ms. Letts weaves a beautiful story, and draws subtle parallels between the lives of the Baum family and the plot of the book. Since this is historical fiction, the reader wonders how much of the story is true and how much is made up. The author addresses that question in an extensive Afterword, where she outlines both facts and opinions, and provides suggestions for further reading.

I read this book immediately after viewing the movie in a local theater for its 80th anniversary, and after reading the original book, THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ, which is very different from the movie. Both provided excellent context for the reading of this book. Excellent literary work!

The story behind the story of The Wizard of Oz! I really enjoyed this well researched and beautifully written novel, told through the voice of Maude Gage Baum, wife of L.Frank Baum. The author weaves two narratives: Hollywood in 1938-1939, during the making of the legendary film, and Maude’s childhood and marriage to L. Frank Baum. From the hard scrabble life in the Dakota Territory, to The 1893 Columbian Exposition and beyond to Hollywood, the novel is rich in history with a fascinating “behind the scenes” storyline, providing an inside look at the experiences in Baum’s life which inspired him to pen one of the greatest stories of all time. A must read for Oz fans! I can't wait to share this book with my library patrons. Thank you, Netgalley, for providing me with an ARC of this wonderful novel!

I have no idea how many times I have watched The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, so when hearing about Elizabeth Letts new book, I knew it was one not to pass up.

There were two timelines going on in the book. One was about Maud Baum’s life and her marriage to Frank. The other was about the making of the movie and Maud’s determination to see that the movie stayed true to Frank’s book.

It was interesting to learn the story behind the story. What a pleasure it was to learn that L. Frank Baum, the author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, was such a positive and creative soul. Throughout the book there are several stories that are the background to how Frank came to create the characters in the book.

I was a bit taken aback at how Maud was portrayed during the making of the movie, but I can also see how that might have been the way it was on the set. She was an outsider among the movie people and an elderly woman as well, so often as I read, it seemed that the people involved with the movie were just placating her to keep her out of their way.

I enjoyed the book and I feel like anyone who has grown up loving The Wonderful Wizard of Oz will also enjoy reading Finding Dorothy.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing an advance copy of which I am happy to give an honest review.

What a magical story! Letts writes this delightful story in dual timeframes and it is woven together seamlessly. Not only are we immersed in the life and marriage of Maud and L. Frank Baum, but also in the filming of the Wizard of Oz in Hollywood in 1939. Letts has done her homework well and has created a fascinating story based on the life of Maud Baum, wife of L. Frank Baum, author of The Wizard Of Oz. If you want a bit of magic in your life, you won’t want to miss this fantastic book.

Finding Dorothy is the interweaving of L. Frank Baum, writer of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz series, his wife Maud who sees the fruition of his work to the screen, and the behind the scenes making of the movie, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in the late 1930's. The story also includes the terrible treatment of Judy Garland during the making of the movie from both the studio heads, director and sadly her own mother Ethel. It delves into how the famous song "Over the Rainbow" was almost cut from the movie. But most important who Dorothy is to the writer, his wife, and to Judy Garland.

This historical novel well researched by author Elizabeth Letts begins with a young Maud running through a neighbor's yard and being terribly frightened by the scarecrow positioned on a post. This is an example of what I began calling little "Easter eggs" of scenes from the actual movie and how they came to fruition from the Baum's own lives. The story continues with Maud and Frank meeting and falling in love, Frank an actor with an incredible imagination, and Maud a woman's rights advocate, realist and the household financier.

During the filming of the movie itself, Maud decides to oversee its making to make sure it stays true to Frank's book. She soon becomes Judy Garland's protector and secret keeper. She sees the abuse of Garland from giving her diet pills as to not gain any weight because her costume is too tight as it is, to the mistreatment Garland endured from some of the men and even her mother who either agreed with them, or looked the other way.

This book will be enjoyed by anyone who has read the book series, or ever seen the movie. It gives insight into how the characters were developed and even where some of the infamous lines in the movie came from. Unfortunately it also is perhaps the introduction to a drug addiction which plagued Judy Garland her whole life and was the start of her great sense of insecurity. It delves into the love of Frank and Maud Baum, their family, their losses and their highs, but it is especially about the woman whose strength enabled the story to be told in both book and movie form. I highly recommend Finding Dorothy.


Thank you #NetGalley #Ballantine Books for the advanced copy. Finding Dorothy will be out on February 12.

L. Frank Baum wrote a book that would prove to be one of the most beloved books of all times, “The Wizard of Oz”. What child doesn’t know this magical story? This new book by Dorothy Letts tells the story behind the story of the Land of Oz. The book centers on Maud Gage Baum, Frank’s wife, and fluctuates between the childhood and life of Maud starting when she was 10 years old in 1871 and the time period when the movie with Judy Garland was filmed and released.

Not only was Maud the daughter of a well-known suffragette, she was also one of the first few women admitted to Cornell University. When she met Frank Baum and fell in love, her degree no longer mattered and off she went with him as the wife of a traveling actor. Frank was a wonderful husband and proved to be just as wonderful a father to their four sons. What he wasn’t too successful at was making money. Though their life was lived frugally, Maud and Frank and their sons were happy and content. Frank always was able to enrich their lives by his entertaining antics. He was a dreamer and always dreamed of a better life for them.

The section of Maud’s involvement with the filming of the famous movie and her protective feelings for Judy Garland was very entertaining, though I’m not sure how factually accurate it was. Regardless, I found this part of the book fascinating, filled with little tidbits about the actors and Hollywood.

The best part of the book is seeing how bits and pieces of Maud and Frank’s lives ended up in his book. I thought that was very clever of the author and apparently is based on historical fact. I’ve gotten away from historical fiction but knew I wanted to read this one since I love the movie so much. I’m glad I requested it as it was very enjoyable and in the telling of the background of a magical story, it was quite magical itself.

Recommended.

Wonderful piece of historic fiction, about the life and purpose of Maud Baum, wife of the author of the Wizard of Oz. It's amazing that a book written over 100 years ago, when viewed in this fashion, can be seen as so very timely. An interesting and compelling look into the lives of the Baums.

i would have found a nonfiction story sharing the lives of Frank Baum and his wife much more interesting. Having made the story of Frank Baum and the making of the Wizard of Oz into piece of fiction lent a feeling of disbelief to the whole story. I read with a nagging sense that none of what the author wrote was true so I couldn’t relax into the story. I understand that other people’s opinions will differ and that’s fine.

If asked what is the most iconic movie of the twentieth century, those surveyed would definitely place THE WIZARD OF OZ near the top. What many people may not realize is that when the movie was being made, millions of Americans already knew the story, both from a Broadway theater production and from the series of books written L. Frank Baum. In a time when children's literature was not the creative well spring that it is today, Baum's fantasy land of Oz complete with illustrations by W.W. Denslow filled children's minds for generations. Those fans of the books eagerly awaited the movie, much as fans of Harry Potter waited for the first Hogwarts' movie. As the book FINDING DOROTHY begins, L. Frank Baum has been dead for over twenty years and his wife, now 77, gains entrance to the set of the movie, hoping to not only see the filming, but also to gain a copy of the script. Readers soon learn that Maud Baum long ago promised her husband that she would take care of Dorothy; at first, we believe that means she wants to make sure the girl playing Dorothy is the right one. Only as we read further, do we understand that there is "more to the story" than that.

The book easily alternates between 1939 MGM studios and Maud's earlier life, beginning when she was a college student, a rarity in the 1880's. We learn that Maud's mother was a well known suffragette, who expected her youngest daughter to get a diploma and be independent. When Maud meets Frank Baum, an actor who runs his own small theater company, he is NOT what Matilda Gage wanted for her girl. But eventually Frank's charm wins over his future mother-in-law and the two marry. But just as Matilda feared, acting is not a steady business and the Baum's life is a series of failures and hardships, especially the years spent in South Dakota and Chicago. Adults will see the correlation between those years and Baum's eventual books. When the book jumps to 1939, we see a rapport develop between Maud and the young Judy Garland. As Letts reveals, Garland (aka Dorothy) truly did need protection and someone to care for her. Surfice to say, the "I, too" movement was needed at MGM. On a lighter note, I especially enjoyed the story line about the song,"Somewhere over the rainbow," which was almost cut from the film.

We librarians and teachers know that good readers make connections between their own lives and the story. The more connections made, the better the understanding. Here are my connections:
1. Like most American kids, I watched the WIZARD OF OZ countless times as I was growing up. Anyone else remember when it was shown on Sunday night one time per year? After reading this novel, I think I should rewatch the movie with new insight.
2. My youngest granddaughter has a special love for this story. She has seen two live musical productions of it. She and her mom have listened to an audio version of the original book many times. Often, instead of music, she wants to listen to that recording as she drifts off to sleep.
3. "Somewhere over the rainbow" is the song my husband plays on his ukulele and sings to the grandkids before bedtime when they stay overnight.

I am sure that other readers will have their own connections. This is the first book by Elizabeth Letts that I have read, and I really liked the easy readability of her writing. I will be looking into finding her nonfiction books. I hope that FINDING DOROTHY is well received by readers; I can see it being a favorite for bookclubs.

I received an e-copy of this title from Netgalley and the publisher. All opinions are mine.

Being a fan of not only historical fiction, but The Wizard of Oz, I found much of Finding Dorothy very interesting. I appreciated the author's obvious research and attention to detail, which allowed the reader to gain a better image of the hardships, hopes, and dreams of the Baum family. Maud truly loved The Wizard of Oz as much as her husband had, and this was beautifully woven into the story.

I saw this was coming out, and I thought it sounded intriguing. I kept thinking about it, my curiosity grew.
Then I began reading...
I was immediately in Hollywood back in OCT 1938.
MGM Studios was what the Emerald City was to OZ. It was the beating heart of Hollywood.
The story "OZ" had been sold to Louis B. Mayer.
His widow of almost 20 years, Maud, travels to meet Mayer to discuss OZ, keeping a promise she made to Frank.

You will travel with her and see the sights and hear the sounds through the descriptive writing.
You are on set as she talks to the Judy Garland and the other actors.
I could see Bolger staggering as he walked away.

Then go back to 1871 where her mother and Auntie Susan (Susan B. Anthony) were changing laws.
1880 - when she first meets Frank.
November 9, 1881, and marrying Frank (my birthday some years later)

You will travel with Maud, you will feel a part of the story.
You will fight for finding Dorothy!
This is truly a great story!

This is a sweet story of the widow of L. Frank Baum, the writer of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. It’s told both during the making of the movie (years after Mr. Baum has passed on) and the years of their lives together. Mrs. Maud Baum, the daughter of a suffragette, is one of the first women to go to Cornell as a coed. There, she is introduced to her future husband, the cousin of her roommate. She defies her mother to marry this theatre man.

This isn’t a deep tale or an overly impressive story. But it is entertaining. We hear everything from Maud’s perspective and it’s definitely her story, not Frank’s. The movie is so well known, it’s easy to picture Judy Garland and the scenes from the movie as they are created. You do learn interesting stories involving the origination of different ideas within the story, how the movie differed from the book and about the actors. I was pleased to learn that most of the inspiration for the book discussed in the novel is based on fact, as is a lot of the information concerning the movie’s production.

I never felt a connection with Maud. I never felt like she came across as a three dimensional character. Frank reminded me in some ways of P. T. Barnum, a fantastic imagination coupled with horrible business instinct.

So, this will appeal to those who are eager to learn something about the story more than those who like an in-depth character driven novel.

My thanks to netgalley and Random House/Ballantine Books for an advance copy of this novel.

Most people have seen The Wizard of Oz, some have also read the books that the movie is based on, but it's doubtful that those same people know the story behind the author, L. Frank Baum. What's even more interesting, is that Finding Dorothy isn't even told from the perspective of Frank, but from his wife Maud. Switching between Maud's life ( starting in New York, her college years at Cornell, and her somewhat nomadic life with Frank) and the 1930s where Maud is working to be heard on the movie and its star, Judy Garland. At times I wondered how the story would wrap up. I knew it was headed for the making of the movie, but wasn't quite sure how it would get there or why.

I know it’s only January, but I feel like this may be the best book I read this year. I. Loved. This. Book. I’m a huge fan of The Wizard of Oz, and yes while this is a work of fiction, the author did an amazing job deriving the story from fact. Just one of those stories that had me completely engrossed from the very beginning. I will DEFINITELY be keeping my eye out for more work by this author!

What a wonderfully intriguing story! And what a creative story to tell! It's a glimpse into so many different bits and pieces of an iconic book and movie, pieces that most don't know existed, or even that they should wonder about them. It's the story of Maud Baum, the wife of L. Frank Baum, author of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz. This book takes from Maud's childhood, to her college years, her marriage and adult life, to the point they start filming the Wizard of Oz. It's fiction, so I have no doubt that some portions of the story aren't accurate, but I kind of don't care. It's entertaining to the point that accuracy doesn't matter. I loved the author's version of how the movie was filmed and the peeks into that whole process. Overall, a really enjoyable and engaging book. Highly recommend!

I absolutely loved this book! Like many, I grew up watching The Wizard of Oz every year on broadcast television. We all looked forward to it like a holiday. For that hour and a half, we joined Dorothy on the yellow brick road, and dreamed that there really could be a land of Oz. I never thought much about the message behind the pictures back then - I just loved it for the magic that it brought into my life.

Elizabeth Letts researched the life of Frank Baum, the man who imagined one of the most cherished stories of our time, and produced this wonderful novel told by his wife, Maud. It jumps back and forth between 1938, the year the screenplay was being filmed, and the 1800's when Maud and Frank were just a young married couple. It gives us a glimpse into the past - how they met and all they experienced throughout their marriage, including many things that inspired the story of the Land of "Ahs."

I think the construction of the novel was brilliant. Maud was a strong independent woman who loved and believed in her erratic but passionate husband. Her life was interesting in and of itself! Raised by one of the first women who fought for women's rights to vote, she was one of the first women to attend an Ivy League school herself. By having her narrate the story, we are able to get a front row seat and see all the ways she supported his talents. Even after his death, she worked to maintain the story he intended to be told and not what Hollywood wanted. We also get to imagine how she might have guided Judy Garland to play Dorothy as Frank would have wanted in the movie. It is a fascinating interpretation of the story behind the story.

I was very excited when I was chosen to receive an ARC book of Finding Dorothy. I had read and heard so much about it, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. I'm not sure why, but at the beginning I had a hard time getting into the story. Don't do like me and almost miss this wonderful read.

We all grew up watching The Wizard Of Oz. That was one of the first movies we saw on my mom and dad's new color TV. I remember the movie would show once a year and we watched it every year. We even stayed home from Sunday night church to see it. It was a big part of our family. Popping pop corn and sitting around the small TV, mom, dad and my younger brothers and I watched every minute of it.

Elizabeth Letts does such a wonderful job telling the story about the wife behind the writer, Maud Gage Baum. Frank Baum is the cousin of Maud's college roommate Josie Baum. Josie thinks they are booth so strange and different from normal people, they would be perfect for each other. Maud finally agrees to come to a holiday party at Josie's parents house to meet him. As they say in movies “The Rest Is History.”

This author has a wonderful ability to craft her characters and bring a setting to life. Elizabeth is an incredible story teller. As I continued to read, I forgot that I was reading a story. It felt like I was reading Maud's journal or autobiography.

I never got to read any of L Frank Baum's books growing up. But I have gone to my public library and checked out several. I can't wait to read the story that inspired the film, The Wizard of Oz. Therefore inspiring this wonderful novel. It is difficult to write this review without giving part of the story away. There are so many great things I can say about it. I would highly recommend reading this very interesting, delightful story.

I received a copy of this book from the publishers Ballantine Books through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

A wonderful, fascinating read that would make an excellent book club choice! I loved this book!
Finding Dorothy by Elizabeth Letts is historical fiction that transports the reader to the lonely plains of the Dakota Territory, and to the Golden Age of Hollywood. It takes us back to a time when suffragettes were trying to garner support for the cause, and a young girl was on the verge of stardom. While much of Finding Dorothy centers on the making of the movie The Wizard of Oz and Maud’s friendship with Judy Garland, the heart of the story was with the relationship between Maud and her husband, Frank, who wrote The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the book that The Wizard of Oz was based on.
I loved Maud and Frank. Maud, the daughter of the famous suffragette Matilda Joslyn Gage, was quite the character! Strong willed and independent, with a big dose of gumption and heart, Maud was a great main character to read about. You root for her and feel for her as she goes through life’s adventures.
Maud’s mother, Matilda, was also a lot of fun to read. She had one focus, and that was women gaining the right to vote, and so there was a lot of focus here on women’s rights. Every once in awhile I’d feel that some of the statements made might’ve been too modern for the time period, but Matilda was on the forefront of the suffrage movement, so had a more modern mindset. She was a great character who really lit up the page when she was around!
Frank, Maud’s husband, was such a compelling character! He was magnetic and charming, while also being aggravating as he would become single-minded when he had an idea and would make some very irresponsible decisions causing turmoil. Throughout it all, you really get a sense of the love Maud and Frank had for each other, and how they were partners through life. I really loved their relationship and how each of their strengths complimented the other.
In the sections set during the making of The Wizard of Oz, we get a glimpse of the Hollywood sets and offices. These sections were full of information about the movie, from various mishaps on the set, to how Judy Garland was treated, and to the various changes the movie went through. I’m not a big Wizard of Oz fan, so went into this read being a bit apprehensive about how I’d like this, but these scenes fascinated me! There was a lot of info here, and while if you’re a big Wizard of Oz fan, you’ll probably already know all of these factoids and rumors, but much of the stuff mentioned here was new information to me.
While I liked the scenes set in Hollywood, where I thought the book really worked was with Maud and Frank’s story. Particularly when they live in the plains of Aberdeen, Dakota Territory, and Maud visits her sister Julia, up further north on an isolated farm. There are also some particularly powerful scenes set in Chicago, and I really loved how the author was able to weave the story of Oz in with the story of L. Frank Baum and Maud. You pretty much get the story behind the inspiration for all of the characters in Oz, from the witches (both good and bad), to the Tin Man, to the Scarecrow, even Toto. But most of all you get the inspiration behind Dorothy, and it was quite powerful and moving.
I really can’t say enough how much I loved this book. So far, it’s one of my favorite reads of the year, and this would make an excellent book club selection! There are so many things to discuss, and we’ve almost all seen The Wizard of Oz and either love it or hate it, so there are opinions to be had with this book! From the tough life on the plains, and what that meant for women and families, to the suffrage movement, to imagination in a world of grey, to love and life and family, this book was magic. I loved it!

Bottom Line: An excellent, truly magical read! I loved it!

The Wizard of Oz has always been one of my favorite movies. My mom and I watched it often. I loved this book. It is a great historical novel about the efforts of Maud Baum, the widow of Wizard of Oz author Frank Baum, and the making of the movie, but I liked reading about their early life and struggles during a rough time in history almost more than Maud’s efforts to make sure the movie was true to the book. A good, entertaining read that made me love Maud!! It is about much more than the Wizard of Oz.