Author Gordon MacAlpine muses on the possible reception Dorothy received to her bonkers stories of her experiences in Oz after returning to Kansas in this entertaining story. Using letters from a psychologist and a first person narration from a member of the town, MacAlpine tracks the relief then shock of the townspeople after Dorothy’s dismayed confession of accidentally killing a witch and the subsequent discovery by authorities of a murdered older woman of the town.

In 1896, a female psychologist travels to Kansas after hearing of Dorothy's situation, who is confined at an insane asylum after a hasty trial and verdict. Dr. Evelyn Grace Wilfred is intrigued when she meets Dorothy, and listens avidly to her adventures in Oz. Wilfred is appalled that the girl is in isolation in the asylum, and resolves to get her out.

Wilfred travels to Dorothy's hometown, and begins asking questions, quickly angering residents, who feel that Dorothy got what she deserved as she's a terrible little murdering monster.

The more Wilfred investigates, the more she uncovers, and discovers lots of smalltown and religious prejudice against
-people suffering mental health issues,
-women living by themselves
-women asking questions.

Though some people have found Dorothy's presence in the story to be minimal, I was pleased, as Dorothy was always my least favourite character in Frank L. Baum's story (he's cited as Wilfred's cousin in this novel), Toto being my fave. McAlpine's Dorothy has a tartness to her responses to Wilfred that I found refreshingly interesting.

Wilfred's interest in the case seems arbitrary initially, except for her ire at the injustice of convicting a child of murder on the basis of slim to no evidence and loads of prejudice. Her interest, and approach to the situation, are detailed in chatty, intelligent letters to her mentor, and her true intentions for delving are gradually revealed, explaining why she takes it upon herself to question everything about the case. Wilfred finds credible suspects, and pieces together a messy past and secrets, and reveals the true identity and motive of the murderer.

I liked this book a lot, and actually enjoyed it much more than the original from which it takes inspiration. I was surprised to find out this was the author's last book before he died, and appreciated the publisher's afterward to this entertaining story.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Crooked Lane Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.

After Oz by Gordon McAlpine

Thank you to @crookedlanebooks, @netgalley, and the amazing, late #gordonmcalpine, who I sadly discovered only recently, for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my #honestbookreview! This is available now as audiobook, physical copy, and ebook.

I want to start by saying that I am a *huge* Wizard of Oz fan - I discovered the movie at around three years of age where the story got its teeth into me and hasn’t lessened its grip. With that said, it’s incredibly hard for me to find Oz stories that live up to the hype and do the story justice. This surpassed my wildest expectations! This is a slow build that takes the law and order feel of To Kill a Mockingbird and merges it with the story of Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz that we all know and love. Already a critical social commentary, After Oz doubles down with lessons on classism, mental health, and the power of the almighty dollar. I recommend this for fans of Wizard of Oz/The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and Wicked as well as other readers alike!

TWs: nature disaster, loss of a loved one, religious themes, classism, poverty, mental health, g*slighting, miscarriage of justice, infidelity, ab*ndonment, more

👠👠👠👠👠👠 - 6/5

The premise really intrigued me...it's the story of Dorothy, but in the view of a small-minded religious town in the late 1800s. A tornado wreaks havoc in Kansas, and an 11-year-old girl goes missing. When she is found, she rambling about a magical place with talking animals and talking about having melted a wicked witch.
What makes this all the more frightening to the townsfolk is that an ill-tempered old woman in the town was found murdered in her home, "melted" by having lye thrown in her face. What follows is accounts of her hearing, psychological evaluations and a murder investigation.

Do not go into this book expecting the whimsical story of Oz. This isn't really a retelling of the classic story, but a different one altogether. This story isn't really even about Dorothy per se, but about the small-minded religious community that believes Dorothy to be a murderer and that her delusions are pagan and manifested from evil. It is also about the way religious zealots in the 1800s regarded female doctors. Is is very much a book about prejudice, mental health, bigotry and religion in the 19th century.

What I liked about this book was the fact that it presents a different perspective on Dorothy that I had never really considered before. The perspectives in the book alternate between an unknown religious townsperson, and the psychologist, Dr Evelyn Grace Wilford--her investigations, thoughts, and how she was treated by the townsfolk. I enjoyed the unfurling of the murder mystery and Evelyn's discoveries.

Thank you to NetGalley the author and publisher for this chance to read and review this arc.

I thought i was going to like this book and then ended up loving it! This was such an amazing retelling. Dark and twisty. A little wordy at times though. I enjoyed every minute.

Dorothy after she returns to Kansas...The author did an excellent job with the time period and area she lived in. Bible belt in the 1930s was a tough time to have an imagination. The author threw in a murder mystery as well. I found parts to be a bit wordy but overall the story was good.

I liked this! If you're a fan of Wizard Of Oz, I would recommend this. This story takes place after Dorothy returns from Oz which was really interesting. Special Thank You to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review. Rest In Peace Gordon McAlphine.

I’m looking forward to seeing Wicked so I thought this would be a good time to read this! It was a little too religious for my liking but it was an interesting mystery/thriller like take on The Wizard of Oz

As a big fan of the Wizard of Oz and it's related stories, this was such a fun book to check out! I love seeing a new take on some aspect of this story/characters. The dark focus around Dorothy and her experience after her return to Kansas was such an interesting and missing addition to the stories around this tale.

I highly recommend this to fans of the Wizard of Oz who are interested in reading about Dorothy's dark experience after returning from Oz. As some other reviewers mentioned, I also think this would make a great movie too!

Thank you so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

In L. Frank Baum's Oz series (yes, there are more books in the canon than the ever popular The Wonderful Wizard of Oz), Dorothy Gale returns to Kansas after her incredible and wonderous journey through Oz with a fantastical tale of her adventures, and later makes subsequent trips to the fairyland, eventually bring her family back with her to Oz to live there for good. Baum's Dorothy is not treated like a young girl suffering from delusions ... but what if she had been?

Gordon McAlpine's final novel (he passed away in 2021 before the publication of this book) After Oz is no fairytale. Firmly rooted in the real world, McAlpine takes the Dorothy story and turns it on his head. How would a God-fearing community in late 1800's Kansas treat a child if they began speaking of a magical land that they visited where they melted a witch? Perhaps you might chalk up such proclamations to an overactive imagination, but what if the town's unlikeable spinster was found dead with her face melted off by lye? Would you believe the child then ... and perhaps accuse her of murder?

Such is the stuff of After Oz, which treats Dorothy not as a Princess of Oz as she comes to be in Baum's later works, but rather a social pariah and murder. Being that the book is titled "After Oz," the story follows the work of a NYC psychologist who comes to Kansas to interview Dorothy at the Topeka Insane Asylum after her trip to Oz and the subsequent unfortunate events. There, she tries to make sense of Dorothy's story and past, and in doing so, uncovers some deeply hidden dark secrets.

I love the ingenuity and creative license that went into writing this intriguing reimagining of the classic Oz tale. As an Oz fanatic (I own the entire canon complete with the beautifully illustrated vintage covers), I appreciate McAlpine bringing something new and thought-provoking to the original Oz story. When viewing Dorothy's tale of scarecrows, tin men, and cowardly lions through a real-world 19th century lens, the magic is stripped away and we are left with a child who would certainly be classified as offbeat and fanciful, if not demented. McAlpine expertly grounds Dorothy's journey to Oz with a narrative not about a girl who journeys to a magical fairyland, but rather one who finds herself imprisoned for telling tall tales that eerily mimic reality.

While the concept of After Oz is stellar, the delivery of the storyline is not the most enthralling or compelling. Spending much of the book in the head of a psychologist as she analyzes a child and puts together pieces of a small town mystery will appeal to some, but not to all, especially those who are looking for a greater focus on Dorothy, who surprisingly plays a minor role in this darkly ominous novel of life on the prairie in 1896.

While I didn't love this one it was indeed an interesting take on The Wizard of Oz. It's a retelling that makes the most sense. And really explains why Dorothy might have made up such a wild story. Though I think it would make a better movie than book. But it was still a good read.

This retelling of Wizard of Oz is a dark tale. I loved reading about what happened to Dorothy and Toto when they came back to Kansas. You gotta love small town politics and attitudes. I highly recommend this book.

This was a really fun and suspenseful continuation of The Wizard of Oz. I really liked the historical aspect of this book. I will definitely be recommending this book to our patrons!

Have you ever wondered what happened to Dorothy and Toto after their return from the land of Oz? In this thriller retelling of The Wizard Of Oz, Dorothy, a bright eleven-year-old, is not only proclaimed insaine, but is also accused of a murder following her unexplained reappearance.

What a unique and unexpected read! I loved the great mix of historical fiction and mystery. The novel places you in Kansas, 1896, in a small rural close-minded community that perceives anything different, fantastical and unexplainable as evil and heretical.

The author did an amazing job creating and developing the characters. It was so fun to learn more about Dorothy and how bright and imaginative she was for her age! I am so happy the girl had Dr. Evelyn looking out for her and investigating the crime she didn't belive Dorothy committed. The story really shows the prejudice against women and non-conformists in those days. The suspense was quite intense at times and the classic mystery was a real treat.

This was an excellent story of what would have transpired after Dorothy returned to Kansas, where the fairytale ends and the real life begins. This read is perfect for anyone who enjoys a classic retelling with a thrilling twist.

Gordon McAlpine's After Oz had the potential to be an engrossing book. The idea of Dorothy trying to explain where she had been to a small, midwestern town was intriguing. The book itself was less engrossing. The great bulk of the work is about the doctor who is trying to clear Dorothy of murder. That could have been much more interesting, however the doctor's constant vague mentions of her own backstory were distracting and pulled my attention away from the story. I put the book down several times to go and do something else until I could talk myself into finishing it. The backstories of the original characters would have been infinitely more interesting. Readers who picked up this book likely did so because they were familiar with either the books or the movie. They had some sort of relationship with the places and characters original to the books and the movie, not to Dr. Wilford. The book ultimately had little to offer those readers aside from a possible sliver of a tale about how Frank Baum came to write the books. That wasn't enough to save the book. As a feminist, I appreciate that the author attempted to examine the inequities women faced and still face in American society, but I don't care to be preached at in fiction. I kept asking myself what the author was trying to do and, in the end, I'm not sure the author himself knew. It seemed as though he used Oz to lure readers in and then only glossed over the original characters the tiniest bit, to what purpose I'm unsure.

As a side note, I truly hope that an editor caught this error before the published copy was printed: Dr. Wilford stands to speak before the Bible study group and asks if "...you kind folks mind if I spoke my peace..." and that is incorrect usage. One speaks one's piece when explaining one's perspective. One holds one's peace when refraining from offering a reason two people should not marry.

I struggled to finish the book, but I did finish it. I appreciate the publisher and NetGalley providing an ARC of the title for review.

Dark Oz Retelling

After Oz by Gordon McAlpine is a dark and gripping continuation of Dorothy Gale's story after her return from the fantastical Land of Oz. Set in the small town of Sunbonnet, Kansas, the book opens with a tornado that wreaks havoc on Dorothy's home and leads to her mysterious disappearance. As the townspeople grapple with the destruction, Dorothy's fantastical tales of Oz are met with skepticism and concern, especially when a local woman is found dead.

After Oz is a thought-provoking and emotionally rich continuation of Dorothy Gale's story. It is a must-read for those interested in retellings that challenge the original narrative and explore deeper societal themes.

I am sorry I didn't finish this title it was very hard for me to keep my attention, I couldn't keepy awake while reading it I am a huge fan of most wizard of oz spinoffs but this one did not keep my attention

*3.5 stars*

Dark, adult retelling of a magical children’s story…

I’ve loved The Wizard of Oz since I was a kid and reading the blurb of this story I couldn’t help be intrigued. Like many children The Wizard of Oz movie was fascinating. Bright colours galore with extraordinary, magical things happening to everyday, ordinary people (including children). What if this fantasy tale was, in fact, real? How could it be explained in the reality of the late 1800’s America? I couldn’t wait to find out…

The author took each unbelievable element and tried to explain it in recognizable terms. The telling was often harsh with religion and racism playing huge roles with humanity taking a serious hit. Intolerance, bigotry – nothing was off-limits as a town wrestled with out of the ordinary stories and happenings.

Intriguing, perplexing, this was an interesting take on a beloved story…

An interesting twist on the old classic The Wizard of Oz. What happened after Dorothy returned to Kansas. I have mixed feeling about this book. parts I really enjoyed and as I was getting in to the story it went in to the dreary life of the super religious people living in the small Kansas town and I found my self glazing over. I really expected that this cool idea was going to have a bit more meat but a lot of this story was very clever and interesting.

Both frustrating and deeply satisfying, a look into a dark time in history and into the hearts of a small town. A story in which nothing is as it seems and only one person is telling the whole truth, maybe.

I really loved the inventive extension of the classic tale and the deep character development in even such a large cast. So many wonderful choices made here. You’ll fall in love with Dorothy all over and question everything about how you believe stories from now on.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy. These opinions are my own.

i was expecting more Oz and Dorothy details..I read whole story but skimmed thru most of the first chapters. Any character could have gone to an imaginary place during a tornado and been accused of melting a ‘witch’. I have read and enjoyed the Wizard of Oz booth book and movie and the book and play ‘Wicked’., but this was a disapointment.