I know, I know but give it a chance and you'll realize that while yes, there's a Wizard of Oz thing sort of going on, it's also a story of a woman picking herself up, moving on, finding love, and most important, understanding the meaning of family. Dee flees Kansas and her Phd program after the man she thought was her love uses her as an unflattering main character in his best selling novel. Ireland is a second chance but things aren't looking good at first because her intended advisor has been killed by a falling truck. Luckily, the meanest professor agrees to take her on and, by chance, she meets Reeti, who offers her a place to live, Sam who along with his family runs the local shop, and Tim, the wounded veteran who lives downstairs. And then her sister Tori turns up, having left the University of Kansas. Dee more or less raised Tori while their mother roamed the world until they landed with Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, taciturn farmers. Now Dee's in a swirl working on her dissertation and dealing with her emotions. No spoilers from me but know that Kantra has a way of hitting all the feels. I strained a bit at first to draw the parallels to the Wizard but then I gave up and just enjoyed the story- and it's a good one. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A treat.

Wizard of Oz is one of my favorite movies. When I saw this one I could not figure out how they were going to make The Wizard of Oz more modern. Well, this was a success. Dorothy Gale and her sister Toni were taken in by their Uncle Henry and Aunt Em.
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As a writing major in Kansas Dorothy fell in love with a faculty member who used her and then wrote a very famous novel using her for inspiration, which is not a good thing in this case. She had escapes Kansas and heads to a writing program in Ireland where we are introduced to a new cast of characters. “brainless” Sam, “heartless” Tim and “loyal” Reeti.
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Her year in this program, with her trusted friends pushes her to find out who she truly is and what really makes a home. This one was filled with so much heart.
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Huge thank you to @berkleypub @berittalksbooks @thephdivabooks @dg_reads and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy of this book.

A very fun, interesting story. I liked the Wizard of Oz retelling angle. It made this unique.

I want to share this before I tell you about my experience reading The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale. I am easily charmed by a great cover and leery of reading the full synopsis of any book having been hit with with what I feel are spoilers in the past. That said, I found this to be a delightful and heartwarming spin on the classic Wizard of Oz tale.

Dorothy, clad in her red cowboy boots, fled her personal storms in Kansas for a new beginning on the Emerald Isle. In Dublin, she formed a small family of three friends who helped her find her heart, head, and the courage she needed as she sought her own path to change. Though the parallels to the original work are there, this story focused on Dorothy's personal journey without all the fanfare and flash we know and love. This new focus on relationships and Dorothy slaying her own "dragons" was something I really appreciated while the essence of the original can easily be seen and felt. The idea of "home" and tapping the power that she always had are trademarks of the classic tale, and they were wonderfully present in this book, too.

I found Dorothy's inner turmoil depicted so well here. She carried a lot of hurt from her childhood and her harmful romantic relationship. I related very much to her pain, and I shed tears for her. But, I was so proud to see her heal and become empowered in her own life. That is why Dorothy's personal journey was a standout part of the story for me.

Overall, I greatly enjoyed this modern twist on a classic I adore. It was beautiful seeing Dorothy grow and succeed in so many areas of her life as she discovered her home and the power inside herself.

In this homage to the Wizard of Oz, Dorothy “Dee” Gale is caught in a whirlwind of life changes. While she was a graduate student in Kansas, Dee was entranced by an older professor who took advantage of her love and devotion in the several ways; the most heinous one his using her in in a pejorative way as fodder for his best-selling novel. Dee is devastated and humiliated after his betrayal deciding to make a big change of venue to pursue her graduate degree at Trinity College Dublin. Entering the writing program at the venerable college takes courage Dee is not sure she has; however, her old life has been cruelly ripped away.

Dee and her sister, Toni, grew up in a vagabond life with their avant garde artist mother who never could seem to stay put for long especially with her daughters. After their mother’s early death, Dee and Toni spent their formative years with Aunt Em and Uncle Henry on the farm. Ireland is quite the paradigm change for Dee as she makes new friends while finding her own crew with Sam Clery who has lost his own confidence for higher learning, Tim Woodman, a wounded former military man who closed his heart after a betrayal, and Reeti, who needs the courage to go against her traditional parents to become a teacher for disadvantaged girls in London.

Life is full of new challenges for Dee as she navigates the tough waters of the writer’s program with the help of some strong women who do not always seem to be on her side, or even believe in Dee’s talent for telling an enchanted story that readers will want to hear. Dee is a people pleaser always trying to be positive, helpful, and no trouble at all, which is at times to her detriment.

In the magical Emerald Isle of Ireland, Dee’s journey of self-discovery and finding the joy of being true to herself is enhanced by her found family of those with her on the metaphorical journey. The eclectic mix of companions become part of Dee's search for a true home. Of course, not all the elements are an exact match to the original story. The author has done a fine job of not only re-imagining this well loved and seemingly ageless tale, but also conveying the universal themes of love, loss, and the desire to realize a life well lived while finding that elemental place called home.

Ms. Kantra's book was nothing like what I'd expected, and I'm so glad! This thoughtful story wraps The Wizard of Oz in new trappings, while still maintaining seminal relationships, journeys, and lessons.

Dorothy moves to Dublin after her lover, a professor in the graduate program she attends, uses their relationship as barely disguised material for his latest novel, painting Dorothy in an extremely unflattering light. Dorothy is determined to finish her degree and hopes that moving overseas to attend Trinity College will take her far enough away to outrun the undeserved reputation, but finds that the only faculty member willing to mentor her is a purported dragon lady who does nothing to encourage her. Her mentor pushes Dorothy to dump her current writing project and do something new, which Dorothy resists vigorously, having put time and her personal experiences into the story.

As time passes, Dorothy amasses a cadre of staunch friends and a couple of potential beaux who support her through this year of growth and change, helping her to confront her fears and to ultimately take the leap her advisor recommends.

After graduation, Dorothy returns to her aunt and uncle's home in Kansas, where she and her sister were raised, and is able to see that her previous understanding of her family may not have been true.

I can't adequately describe how this story balances the original Oz tale and the story of one woman's evolution, creating a work that sucked me in and held me captive. Highly recommend.

The excitement I had when I first saw this title and cover! I really enjoyed how this story twisted the The Wizard of Oz into a modern world, while still keeping the theme of friendship, adventure, and facing your fears.

After her relationship with a faculty member ends in a humiliating scandal, graduate student Dorothy "Dee" Gale flees Kansas and heads to Trinity College in Dublin with hopes of escaping into their writing program. Along the way she meets three delightful companions (and a lovely romance) mirroring the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, and the Scarecrow. A couple witches, too!

These characters and their own personal conflicts were wonderfully developed—I especially loved the "heartless" Tim Woodman and his harrowing backstory. And of course seeing Dee forge her own path in a new world was so great.

I had a hard time staying invested, though, especially with such a heavy focus on Dee's dissertation. It's definitely character driven, and objectively I appreciate what this book accomplished, but it was simply too slow paced for me.

Using a classic books framework to critique a main character being placed in a narrative not of her choosing creates an ouroboros of problems. It creates a constant dissonance in the message of the novel.

Readers see a cover evocative of the Wizard of Oz, references to the work, and will 100% recognize the characters they are meant to portray

A process that mirrors everything that the author is warning against! Pushing narratives onto people just because it works and makes people make sense.

One thing I like to keep in mind while reading a modern retelling of a classic work is whether or not the plot actually needs to rely on being a retelling.

The use of the Wizard of Oz as a framework for the story is not used equally throughout the story. Characters range from being so on-the-nose references that it hurts (looking at you, Tim Woodman) to being so loosely connected to the original character that I couldn't easy pick up on the connection until it was directly referenced.

It's not an easy story to retell without fantasy elements. This book tries but I'm not sure it succeeds to replicate the effect of its predessor. It's not an easy story to retell.

Still it has some charming moments though- so not all is lost. It's plucky and quirky like the original Dorothy herself. There's definitely an audience for a story like this, I am just not one of them.

A very creative book inspired by The Wizard of Oz. Dorothy Gale travels to Ireland for graduate school and meets her own version of the lion, the tinman, and the scarecrow (and a wicked witch). This is a fun read even if a reader is not totally familiar with the Wizard of Oz -- but if they are, it is even more enjoyable.

Dorothy "Dee" Gale: New York to Kansas transplant runs away to Dublin with one goal, to complete her graduate degree in Creative Writing (not what most people run away to Dublin for I'm sure).

The twist, if you will, is that she is carried out of Kansas not by a cyclone, but by a man-made disaster. And that is literal: a MAN (former lover) pushes her out of her comfort zone and confidence by being a complete disgrace of a human being. Shattering her dreams, her confidence, and her career goals by immortalizing her in a novel with a negative characterization.

Not surprisingly she meets a cast of three supportive friends on her journey in Dublin (all play an important role in her growth) and a couple of witches too (who play an almost equal role in helping Dee to help herself). And don't worry, Toto, Uncle Henry, Aunt Em, and the falling house also make an appearance.

On her yearlong sojourn to The Emerald Isle, Dee finds the opportunity to find herself. She comes to terms with grief and loss, shakes off shame via oysters and white wine, sheds her rose-colored glasses, and embraces HER JOURNEY.

This was JUUUUST enough of a retelling to keep me happy that I took the chance and original enough to keep me guessing. In short, I enjoyed it; it was a wonderful foray into a genre that I don't read much of (retellings) with a bit of romance, a bit of found family, and a whole lot of a woman finding her way in the world.

I loved Virginia Kantra's retellings of Little Women, so I was so excited to read her retelling of The Wizard of Oz! This book was a sweet retelling of this classic story. I loved watching Dee discover herself and grow in friendship, love, vocation, and family throughout this book. The writing was excellent and the connections to The Wizard of Oz were fun to discover (such as seeing which of her friends were the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion). I haven't read The Wizard of Oz books, so perhaps I'm missing something... but there were a couple of things that bothered me about this book. First, I felt that there were too many point of views/narrators - at least four I think. This just felt like a lot and in my opinion, did not add much to the story. Secondly, it was hard to vacillate between the serious (Dee's childhood trauma, her terrible abusive relationship that she fled from, etc.) to things that were a little more lighthearted, such as her writing/romance. I can't put my finger on it exactly but it just did not seem like good transition to me.

Overall, this was a good book but just not great. I am glad I read it and there may be a better audience than me!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

The Wizard of Oz is my favorite movie of all time, so I didn’t even glance at the synopsis before scooping up The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale! Somewhere between an “inspired by” story and a retelling, this book features a graduate student named Dorothy (Dee) Gale, fleeing her Kansas university for the Emerald Isle’s Trinity College after a storm of heartbreak and bad publicity. Along her road to complete her degree, she meets three new friends who are searching for things inside themselves too (with allusions to the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion), resulting in smart story that’s big on heart and courage.

I was utterly enchanted by this modern retelling! This story is strong and engaging even without those ties to the original, with similar themes of home, family, friendship, and finding yourself abundant throughout. Dee’s character arc in “running away” from her Kansas home, finding three dear friends along her journey, and discovering what’s been inside of herself all along will ring familiar to fans of the original Dorothy Gale. It was a delight to look for parallels and between this story and the classic movie/book, but I won’t tell you about them in my review because I hope you’ll be just as tickled as I was to discover them.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me an advance copy of this book.

It's always a bit of a risk to read a book when you go in with high expectations, but I needn't have worried. This author has already proven herself when it comes to modern retellings (go read Meg and Jo, and Beth and Amy). Still, The Wizard of Oz is an old favorite that brings back fond childhood memories, so I went in with bated breath. What I got was a breath of fresh air.

I love how current issues of the day (#metoo-ish) are woven seamlessly into the narrative. I also adored Toto becoming a younger sibling, and the Scarecrow becoming a female friend. Finally, being transported to Ireland was an especially delicious escape. Of course, the story follows Dorothy Gale, who is running from her life and mistakes at first, but ends up running toward a new future and finding herself in the process. And like the original story, all of the other characters also learn to be true to themselves in order to overcome the insecurities and demons that hold them back. The effect is to quietly yet consistently remind the reader that we all have the power to transform ourselves and our lives if we have a little faith and muster a little courage.

One big change from the original is the introduction of a bit a romance for Dorothy--and who doesn't love a little romance? I won't give any spoilers here, but I was very glad for the happy ending delivered.

This book is as charming as its cover, so don't miss it!

I don’t think I’ve ever seen The Wizard of Oz, the one with Judy Garland in, from start to finish, just bits of it. I’ve never read the book. But I know the story of course. The main draw for me was the author. I adored her Carolina series (especially Carolina Dreaming) a few years back (looking it up on Goodreads, that series finished in 2016). I haven’t (yet) read her retellings of Little Women but I intend to now. But for this book, her name attached to it was all I needed to pretty please request it.

Dorothy Gale is a 26-year-old graduate student, formerly at Kansas University. She had been in a two-year secret relationship with Grayson Kettering, a professor at KU. He didn’t directly teach her but he was in the same department (English) and it was nonetheless improper of him. Gray, the jerk, wrote a book “Destiny Gayle” in which a hapless professor was ensnared by Destiny into an inappropriate relationship with a student. ‘Destiny’ was very obviously modeled on Dorothy and it was by no means a flattering comparison. Dee was humiliated, a laughing-stock in school, with readers all over, in the media. She’d had no idea she was the subject of his book. Once the book was released, he ghosted her. Now the best-selling book is being made into a movie.

For the two years of their relationship, Dee put her own thesis on hold. Being gaslit by Gray did not help. Now, she has transferred to Trinity College, Dublin for a year to finish her dissertation and break free of Gray.

Dee never knew her father. Her mother was an artist who was a way often. Dee and her younger sister, Toni, often stayed with friends of their mother, often on couches, or, they stayed with Aunt Em and Uncle Henry on their farm in Kansas. After their mother died when Dee was 12 and Toni was 4, they went to live permanently on the farm. Dee has always felt responsible for Toni. In many ways, she raised her. Their aunt and uncle are hard-working, practical people and not given to shows of affection. Dee always had the impression that Em and Henry took them in out of obligation only. Dee has always felt in the way, like she doesn’t belong anywhere, with anyone. Gray’s treatment of her only reinforced that view.

In Dublin, Dee meets Sam Clery, a shopkeeper and would-be poet who missed his opportunity to go to Trinity to study English when his father died and Sam had to take over the shop to help his mother and four siblings. Sam is our Scarecrow. She also meets Tim Woodman, a businessman and fellow student at Trinity (albeit in the business school) who was wounded in Afghanistan during his military service, who believes himself to have no heart. The Tin Man. And also, Reeti, a young British-Indian Sikh woman who is studying business at the college but longs to teach young Indian women to improve their lives and encourage independence in them. Only, she’s terribly afraid of disappointing her parents. She is our Cowardly Lion.

Dee forms a deep friendship with all three and a romantic connection with one of the men. As to which one – well, I’ll leave that for the readers to discover themselves. I will say that I was very happy with her choice. He was my personal pick too (although I certainly did not dislike the other one).

Reeti, a couple of years younger than Dee, quickly becomes Dee’s best friend and is wonderful at telling Dee things she needs to hear, with kindness and love. And Dee, for the first time, begins to find friends and her place.

“Dee, you don’t have to be useful to be liked. Not here, anyway.”

Dee has some difficulty with being connected to an advisor for her dissertation. Dr. Eastwick, the woman she reached out to in the first place, was unfortunately squished by a mobile house which tipped and fell on her car when the house was being transported on the highway. Glenda Norton, the head of the program tries, somewhat reluctantly, to find someone to step on. Maeve Ward, who other students, past and present, refer to as “the witch” is an option but she’s terrifying and demanding. Later in the year, she is mentored by a children’s book writer, Oscar Diggs (our Oz), who inspires her to be braver with her writing.

Over the course of her year in Dublin, Sam finds wisdom, Tim finds his heart and Reeti finds her courage. And Dee rewrites her unfinished historical literary novel set in the dustbowl of Kansas and reimagines it as a story for children.

Maybe that was my problem. I’d been writing Rose’s story, but I’d forgotten to give her a companion on her journey. Someone she needed to protect, to force her to be braver, kinder, wiser. It wasn’t enough to defeat the dragon. Fairy tales—the ones I loved—weren’t only about survival. They were about hope and love and joy.

“She has a pet,” I decided. “A chicken.” I knew chickens. And a chicken would be funny.

“I don’t want to be a chicken,” Toni protested sleepily.

“What, then?”

“A dog.”

She had always wanted a puppy. Not a working dog, like Uncle Henry’s or one of the feral strays along the highway. So, yes, okay, a dog. I could see it in my mind, small and dark and bright-eyed.

“A dog named Toto…”

There was some talk in the book about imitation being a good starting point. But when Rose’s name changed to Dorothy I became concerned. “Who is going to tell her?” I thought. It took me an unfeasibly long time to work out that in the universe of The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale, The Wizard of Oz books by L. Frank Baum did not exist. (Note to readers: now you know. You’re welcome.) Once I worked that out, I felt so much better about Dee’s book.

Dee also confronts demons, old and new, including Gray, who like a bad penny, turns up again. She learns to stand for herself and be brave, confident, wise and kind to herself.

Dee also gains a new perspective on Aunt Em and Uncle Henry – maybe they weren’t as unloving as she had previously believed? And, from her good friends, on herself:

“Sometimes pretending isn’t an act of cowardice. Sometimes it’s a matter of survival.”

There are POV chapters from Dee, Sam and Tim. Mostly Dee. Dee feels romantic sparks with both Sam and Tim. But one man in particular wins her love.

“Dee.” He cleared his throat. Took my hands. “I like you. I want to see you. I want to sleep with you again. Tonight and as often as you want.”

I did have one or two questions about Dee’s mother. I picked up the hint of something maybe in one of the lines but maybe I’m reading in too much? I’ve never been much of one for subtext so I can’t be sure. I’m terribly curious though.

My own dad was a man who didn’t say he loved me very often. He was a doer not a talker. (I never had a doubt my dad loved me though!) So I felt like I understood Aunt Em and other characters in the book better because of it.

I got a bit of a kick out of the various Wizard of Oz references and the clever way they were weaved into the story (especially once I realised Dee’s book was, in this world, original). I enjoyed Dee’s relationship with Reeti and watching the changes between Dee and Toni. I liked Sam and Tim and watching them take chances on what would make them happy. I loved the romance, somewhat understated but kind and solid – there is something truly romantic to me about those things. I enjoyed Dee learning to listen to what was not being said and giving grace to others to open up at their own pace – something she later applies to herself as well. And, I liked Maeve, very much. Good witches are overrated I reckon.

“Women who tell the truth have always been called witches.”

Wizard of Oz retelling in a modern world you say? 🏃‍♀️

Short Synopsis:
Dorothy Gale leaves Kansas to follow her journey to the Emerald City (AKA Dublin). After a public and odd breakup, she leaves everything she knows to attend Trinity University. There she meets new friends, and possible love interests.

My Thoughts:
I adore the Wizard of Oz and watched frequently as a kid, so I was excited to read it. The Easter eggs and references were so much fun. Though I did struggle getting into this book as a whole and its own entity.

I’ve mostly avoided updated versions of my favorite classics, yet something about this one drew me in (The cover? The title?)

I was charmed throughout. Virginia Kantra wrote her own beautiful story with recognizable and clever homages to L. Frank Baum’s original. I found this book full of heart, brains, courage, and an always welcome reminder of how much power we carry within.

I’ll happily revisit this again, and already have a number of patrons in mind who will love it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for granting access to an ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishers for this Advanced Readers Copy of The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale by Virginia Kantra!

My loyal readers will know that I'm typically wary of any book that takes an old favorite and attempts to transpose it on the modern-day. However, I trusted Virginia Kantra with Meg & Jo, and was not disappointed, so I opted to take the plunge with her again as she takes on the fruits of L. Frank Baum's imagination.

This time, my own failure to read the publisher's description closely got me into trouble. The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale is not described as a "modern retelling" of anything, but I assume that it was (perhaps not unfairly), and was therefore disappointed that, aside from the fact that Dorothy lived in Kansas with her Auntie Em and Uncle Henry, and some cleverly punny character names, there really isn't much relation between this book and either Baum's book, or the movie based on it.

That being the case, I wish Kantra hadn't tied her book to Oz at all. This is an excellent book on it's own, and doesn't need to be propped up by allusions to anyone else's work. Change the names of the characters, and Kantra has given us something original and well-written. Tied to such a cultural touchstone, however, fans are bound to be disappointed.

ps. Oz devotees who haven't read Finding Dorothy must do so, as soon as possible.

A truly mind-blowing portrayal of one woman’s journey through both joy and great sorrow, and the many lessons her heart learns along the way. I would urge every woman to give this great book a chance. Also, loved author’ spin with this magical tale.

The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale by Virginia Kantra

This is such a sweet story and it put a smile on my face through most of it. That's not to say that it is all happy times. Far from it! In Dorothy Gale and her three new friends, each have some major struggles, past and present. Struggles you wouldn't wish on others and struggles that can haunt them forever if they aren't able to really face up to the hurt and challenges of the past and present.

Dorothy, from Kansas, has just landed in Dublin so she can join the writing program at Trinity College Dublin. She wasted two years of her life in a relationship with a much older faculty member at her old university. Little did she know just how much that man was using her until his latest novel came out, her name barely changed in it, portraying her as a life sucking vampire and overall disgusting person. Dorothy, whose main goal in life is to not rock anyone's boat, who tries to make everyone happy, now has a horrible and unfounded reputation. That's the reason she's run away to Dublin. Dorothy is not in Kansas anymore!

Her two men friends both have deeply ingrained hurts and it takes a while for them to open up while Dorothy can't help wearing her feelings on her sleeve. All three of them are afraid of being hurt again. Despite being very different, each man is attractive and attracted to Dorothy, who has a lot of baggage to unload before she will be able to move forward. But that is why she is in Dublin, to change herself and the way she thinks about herself.

Her third friend, Reeti, has had a much easier life, if looking from the outside. But she's bound by tradition and culture to follow her parents' wishes even though they clash with what she wants in life. With these three friends we have the need for a heart, a brain, and courage and just maybe, while they help Dorothy, she can help them find their way.

Dorothy and her friends need each other both for the support they can give and that they can get. Throughout the story they use quotes from authors, books, and copycats to bring their points across to the others and those discussions can show that not just one interpretation is the right interpretation. I knew just about all the book references, which was fun, but usually a character will mention where a quote came from even if I wasn't sure.

Thank you to Elisha at Berkley and NetGalley for this ARC.