This book is so sweet and really different to anything else I've read. The author blends fact and fiction to make a fascinating historical fiction novel based around Maud- the wife of Wizard of Oz author L Frank Baum. It talks about how her husband wrote the book and also the history around Maud who was 78 when the movie was made. The style it is written in is really unique and makes for a wonderful read.

Inspired by a photograph and using a variety of sources to reconstruct events , Elizabeth Letts tells us the story of Maude Gage Baum, the wife of Oz creator L Frank Baum , flashing back to her girlhood and college years when she first met Frank, to a " present day" where she is desperately trying to preserve the integrity of her husband's legacy on the MGM film set, while also protecting the young girl chosen to be Dorothy, the girl who would become a star, Judy Garland, but for now is a frightened teenage girl with a pushy mother.
It is a photograph of these two that inspired the book, and it is clear that the author has gone to great lengths with her research, however she is also at pains to emphasise that the book is a fictionalised account, where factual gaps have been filled by imagination.
While the portions of the book set during the movie production were obviously interesting, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Maud's own story was just as much, if not even more so. Catching a glimpse of Clarke Gable in the studio commissary makes for fun reading, but Maud's often difficult life, her inspiring but exacting mother, her difficult relationship with her sister, and the love story between herself and Frank are the real heart of the book. As her story unfolds we learn why the Oz books mean so much to her, and who Dorothy may be, which goes a long way towards explaining her protectiveness of the young actress in a predatory environment, and why it is important that the film keeps the magic of the books alive.
Full of heart and charm, though not without moments of extreme sadness, this was a beautiful book and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I would recommend it heartily to fans of the Wizard of Oz , be it on the page or the screen, but also to anyone who likes to read about strong and determined women.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Having been slightly obsessed with The Wizard of Oz as a child, I was really interested to read this novel and found it a compelling and beautifully written story. In addition to shedding light on the creation of the film, it's also very evocative of American life at that time. Maud is a fabulous character.

What a fabulous read – I loved this book and whizzed through it in just a day.

We all know the story of The Wizard of Oz, and we all love the film – but what do we know about the author L Frank Baum and his life? ‘Finding Dorothy’ is the story of his wife Maud, daughter to one of the original American pioneers of women’s suffrage, and the love she finds with Frank – an extraordinarily creative and imaginative individual. We are guided through their life, love and hardships, through to the creation of the story itself.

The narration is alternately placed in the life of Frank and Maud’s marriage and later during the filming of The Wizard of Oz - where an elderly Maud meets with Judy Garland, and makes it her business to protect the Dorothy of her husband’s story. Based on biographical information and fact garnered from a variety of sources, Elizabeth Letts has created a truly memorable read. Highly recommended.

I must admit that the Wizard of Oz has always been a favourite in my house. But I never knew it was based on a book written by Frank L Baum. Finding Dorothy blends fact and fiction to bring us the story behind the story and is an entertaining read. The story is told by Maud Baum, wife of the dreamer Frank, and daughter of a famous suffragette. It alternates between her time on the movie set during the making of the Wizard of Oz and her life story with Frank and how he came to write the story of Oz.
It is an impressive and highly entertaining book and certainly doesn’t gloss over the seedier aspects of life at that time. It gives insights into the greats of Hollywood at that time, including Judy Garland, but it is essentially a book about women and their place in the world.
However, I did find Maud’s character a little one dimensional at times and her portrait of Frank a bit too cliched, but overall a good read with an uplifting feel to it. The lasting message of somewhere over the rainbow shone through it.
Thank you to Quercus Books and NetGalley for my advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received a free pre-publication copy of this novel from NetGalley, in return for an honest review.

This historical novel switches between 1939 and the film set of The Wizard of Oz, and the life and marriage of Oz's creator, L. Frank Baum, and his stalwart wife Maud.

Overall, the novel is pleasant and engrossing. At times, the historical passages feel uneven compared to the film set sections, and the Baums' life following publication is glossed over. The narrative is also a little heavy-handed in displaying the triggers and inspirations for L. Frank Baum's creation.

Nonetheless, it's a decent read, whether you're a fan of the film or simply interested in the lives of women, the suffrage movement and #MeToo.

The 1939 film The Wizard of Oz is one of my all-time favourite classic movies. I’ve always been in awe at how a film from the era it was made in was done so spectacular and with a great cast, including Judy Garland.

With this in mind when I heard about the book ‘Finding Dorothy’ I just had to read it. The book reads like part biography and part story, although all the book is fictionalised, Elizabeth Letts has stuck to the facts when it came to Maud Baum’s earlier life and her marriage to L. Frank Baum – the author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. You can tell how much research and dedication went into this book, as well as how much of a joy it must have been to write.

The plot moves back and forth between Maud’s earlier life starting as a child and watching her grow into a strong young woman. The daughter of a suffragette and well educated. She gave up her education to be with L. Frank Baum. The book follows their life together through poverty and riches. In other chapters, we get to be witness to Maud Baum as she offers her help to M.G.M as they film an adaptation of her late husband’s book and she takes young Judy Garland (Dorothy) under her protective wings.

The book is completely fascinating and brought to the forefront information on a woman I only knew by name. She had an extraordinary life, even before she met L. Frank Baum. Whilst I enjoyed getting to know Maud and her past, at times these sections felt slow and they were far longer chapters than the ones set in 1938. The later years chapters were the ones that I completely adored and were fascinated by.

If you love The Wizard of Oz movie or the children’s books series (yes there are multiple books featuring Oz), then this novel would be just perfect for you. It is eye-opening and brings you into the life of a woman who lived such a remarkable life. You also get to hear all about the famous movie being made and the lives of the actors too – even if it is a work of fiction it felt so real.

This is a historical fiction story about the Baum family, particularly Maud Baum the wife of the author of 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz', L. Frank Baum. The story begins with Maud's childhood and follows her life through meeting Frank Baum, the trials and tribulations of their life together and the inspiration behind Frank's writing of the famous book. It also tells a story about Maud's attempts to convince Hollywood not to ruin her husband's masterpiece and characters while making the movie.

I had a little difficulty warming to Maud, though I appreciate the strong, feisty woman she so obviously was. Frank on the other hand came across as a lovely, warm character with an amazing imagination and I would like to think that he was actually that way in real life. It is also an entertaining tale about the inspiration behind a well loved book and movie and a fascinating glimpse in to the (often sleazy) workings of old Hollywood.

A very engrossing story but for me the writing was a little flat at times and the jumps ahead in time sometimes felt a bit awkward. Readers should be sure to read the Afterword for details of the research that went in to writing 'Finding Dorothy', and particularly to find out what became of dear Magdalena.

This is a charming and very original story based on the making of the movie "The Wizard of Oz" in 1939. The author says her inspiration came from seeing a photo taken of Judy Garland with Maud Baum, the widow of L.Frank Baum, author of the fourteen books about Oz.

Although the author says she re-imagined the lives of Frank and Maud, she has researched her topic well and included many details about their lives and the making of the film. Maud was an interesting woman in her own right. Born in 1861, the daughter of prominent suffragettist Matilda Gage, she grew up a tomboy, completed high school and was one of the first women to enrol in the new women's college at Cornell University, although she left without completing her diploma to marry Frank and travel with his theatre company (not exactly what her mother had in mind for her!)

The author goes on to describe all the places they lived and the jobs Frank had, none of them amounting to much but all contributing to his experiences and his lively imagination. They certainly lived through some hard times until Frank published "The Wizard of Oz" in 1900. His love of making up stories first for Maud and then for their family of boys eventually led to his creation of the land of Oz and the wonderful tales that happened there.

Letts imagines Maud, some 20 years after Frank's death going to the MGM movie set, intent on making sure the legacy of Oz and Dorothy are preserved as Frank would have wanted. She describes the way Judy was treated, as a commodity and not a young girl, manipulated by her horrible stage mother and the producers, forced to take pills, diet and smoke cigarettes to keep her weight down.

This is a very engaging, well written novel, peppered with lots of fascinating stories and insights into the lives of Frank and Maud and the characters involved in the making of the movie.

For anyone who’s ever seen The Wizard of Oz or read the book, this is a fascinating account of Mrs Baum - the wife of the author. This is based on true fact but is also a fictional account of what might have been. A perfect mix when you think about it. History and myth mix to make some of the most memorable stories.

I thought this was fascinating from the start. Maud herself is a very interesting person. Often the most famous person gets the attention but when you look at their wives, husbands etc, their is just as interesting if not more so.

Maud was ahead of her time - she went to university as her family wanted her to, but then met and married Baum, a man of the theatre. The story of her struggles, of women’s choices at the time were fascinating. Maud gives a unique insight into the social mores of the time. A real insight into the story that became the Wizard of Oz.

The story opens when the film with Judy Garland is about to be made and Maud visits the film set. Her meeting with Judy Garland and the cast was mesmerizing. It was like history came alive. Many moments like this throughout the book A magical reading experience in many ways - reading bout the story behind the book, behind the author, behind the film..

Follow the yellow brick road to your local bookshop and click your heels to buy this!

Magical! Just like the book and in this novel the making of the film 'The Wizard of Oz' which premiered in August 1939 and is still one of the most well loved movies of all time.
But who remembers the original author of the book from which it was adapted onto the Technicolor screen at the MGM studios in Hollywood?
The author has done her research and fleshed out the real life stories of author Frank L Baum and his wife Maud to give some detail to the story and also embellish (without destroying the idea) the images which then became real on the big screen.
The author tells us of seeing a photograph of Maud sitting with Judy Garland looking at the original book by Frank and this set off a train of thought about the novel.
Maud was the daughter of Matilda Gage a famous suffragist and sees in Judy a strong and determined girl but one who is vulnerable (like so many other females in Hollywood then and of course right up to recent years, with tales of sexual harassment, diet pills and excessive pressure. Even Judy's mother Ethel Gumm did little to protect her daughter seeing only dollar signs I expect especially with Judy's rendition of 'Somewhere over the rainbow'.
Maud goes to college but after meeting Frank, an actor and theatre owner, decides to throw in independence and education (much to her mother's disgust) for love and what then transpires as a difficult time for security and finance, as well as bringing up four sons.
I was totally immersed in the whole lives of Maud, Frank and their family. There were many tragedies and some exuberant times which often influenced Frank's creativity and eventually the plot of the famous book.
Lots to learn and love with this novel, particularly life at the pre WWII Hollywood studios who could make or break people's careers.
It's made me want to watch the film again and seek out a copy of Baum's book to compare the story. Without a doubt readers will be singing the songs that are etched on our memories as we all 'follow the yellow brick road'.

Despite this book being about one of my favourite old Hollywood stars, the sheer density of this book and the fact that it truly just seemed to drag on most occasions meant I really struggled to get on with this novel. This book is a fictionalized account of two timelines- the making of the film, The Wizard of Oz, and the meeting and falling in love of the author with the main character, Maud. The flashbacks and stories about Maud's life dragged like there was no tomorrow with little effect, to the point where it felt like I had read twenty pages when I'd only read two. Letts tends to go off into tangents and long, descriptive thoughts about huge, overriding ideas and emotions that you get bored and find yourself skimming. This book really wasn't what I wanted it to be, and I'm sure it'll find an audience elsewhere.

A very enjoyable and beautifully written book, with lots of movie tidbits thrown in. I would definitely recommend this book to fans of movie history, historical fiction or early 20th century historical fiction.

Elizabeth Letts blends fact and fiction in this fascinating piece of historical fiction that explores the life of Maud Gage Baum, the little known wife of L Frank Baum, the famous author of the The Wizard of Oz. The narrative has two timelines, that of Maud and her family from the 1870s onwards, and the 78 year old Maud's presence on the Hollywood film set of The Wizard of Oz in 1939 where she aims to ensure that the movie stays true to her husband's vision. Maud is the daughter of Matilda, a well known suffragette, a feminist and mother who ensured that Maud was unencumbered by the limits faced by women at the time. Maud is a fearless and independent character, and one of the first women to attend Cornell University, which is where she meets the actor, Frank, when the two are introduced to each other by her flatmate.

Maud proves to be her own woman when she marries Frank despite the fierce opposition of her mother. Frank is a wonderfully imaginative father, but it is Maud's indomitable strength, optimism and determination that is key to surviving challenging years of penury in South Dakota, where various entrepreneurial ventures collapse. Insights of their family and children through the years are to inform Frank's novel and the characters within it, such as Dorothy and the Tin Man. These years lay the foundation for the strong willed Maud that we encounter in 1939, she has no qualms about taking on Hollywood executives. The young Judy Garland is being mistreated and abused on the film, slapped, fed pills and cigarettes to keep her weight down, all of which is aided and abetted by Judy's ghastly and ambitious mother. Maud takes it upon herself to do all that she can to help and protect Judy, but no doubt it is these beginnings that is to contribute to Judy's later life becoming so troubled with her addictions and insecurities.

Letts engages in considerable research for her novel, although she does take liberties here and there with history and her characters. I found this compulsive reading, particularly the parts that relate to the making of The Wizard of Oz, which I have seen so many times and love, I imagine there are few people who have never seen it. Letts characterisation of Maud is wonderful, Maud is a one off, the kind of woman that I was immediately drawn to and found such a compulsive stand out character as the central protagonist of the story. This is an entertaining read and I thoroughly enjoyed the insights of US history provided in Maud and Frank's story and that of the Hollywood movie business that Letts provides in the narrative. Many thanks to Quercus for an ARC.

I thought that this book would be a slam dunk for me but I just didn't find it very cohesive at all. The author tries very hard to weave together so many elements that for me it just fell apart. I would have been very interested in a book about L Frank Baum, who seems like he led a very interesting life. I would have been very interested in a book entirely about his wife Maud, who is also fascinating with her ties to not only a famous spouse but famous mother and 'aunt' to boot. I even would have been satisfied with a book about Judy Garland, although in this case I often felt that Finding Dorothy simply regurgitates a lot of things already commonly known about the making of the movie and the woman herself. I found myself rolling my eyes at the imagined conversations, with the author taking opportunity to work the bits of movie trivia in. I suppose in the end I felt impatient with most of the film lot portions, and wished that instead the focus remained with Maud because it was her insights into Oz that were both enlightening and affecting.