A dark take on what happens with Dorothy after she returns to Kansas from Oz. I’m always interested when I see a book that deals with the land of Oz and had to read this thriller as soon as I heard of it. The audiobook version was narrated by Maria Ru-Djen. She did a great job with this story.

It is set in the late 1890s and is told from two perspectives. The first is one of the townspeople who is highly religious and holds a lot of prejudices. They are an unknown resident of the town who illustrates the viewpoints of most of the residents. It was oftentimes irritating to listen to what they were saying and brought down the story a bit for me. I know exactly what they were in the story for but it still made it less enjoyable of an experience. The second perspective in the book is Dr. Evelyn Grace Wilford, who is a psychologist trying to solve Dorothy’s innocence.

When Dorothy returns to Kansas from Oz, she begins to tell of her adventures there and also of its magical inhabitants. These stories worry the people in her town who believe she is at first delusional and then as the story goes on diabolical. When the body of a local woman, Alvina is found, they think Dorothy is the murderer because of her description of killing the Wicked Witch of the West in Oz. She is sent to an asylum. Evelyn Wilford goes to the asylum to interview Dorothy and sees a little girl who she does not believe could murder anyone. Evelyn decides to go to the town and see if she can solve what really happened.

Don’t go into this book thinking you will see any of Oz, that is not what this story is about. Dorothy does go into some details about her friends and some of what she does in Oz, but not much. The story’s focus is on the prejudices and religious beliefs of Dorothy’s town and on the murder mystery. Dorothy is not in the book as much as I thought she would be either. She is obviously very important in the plot, but we see more of the townspeople and Evelyn than Dorothy. It did have me wanting to find out who murdered Alvina. The twists surprised me a lot.

I’m always intrigued by continuations of classic stories. I think it was interesting how Gordon decided to take this in a very different direction. Though, it was disappointing to not get more of Oz or at least Dorothy. You don’t go into a Oz retelling/continuation thinking you won’t get at least some of the characters or the world.

I absolutely love the idea of a retelling of The Wizard of Oz and this one delivered. It is from the two different POVs and not the ones you think they will be. It almost reads like a murder mystery which was pleasantly surprising. For a story that has been redone over and over this one has given us a fresh unique and dark take on a classic.

What happened when Dorothy returned from Oz?

This book explores that very question. I enjoyed the unique approach to the story we all know. When Dorothy returned she tells all about her adventures in Oz , of course no one believes her and they think she is delusional and essentially evil.

When she mentioned she didn't mean to kill the witch, people began suspecting her of murder. As a result she ends up in an Insane Asylum.

A psychologist takes interest in her case and uncovering the truth of if Dorothy actually committed the crime.

The author did a great job of making the story believable; I can imagine a small town would react in this way to a child telling tales of a fantasy land, magic and witches in this time frame. I was frustrated by how easily she was dismissed and put into an asylum. I rooted the psychologist, Dr Evelyn Grace Wilford, on as she was seemingly the only one who had Dorothy's best interest at heart.

Rounded up from 3.5 stars.

What. A. Fantastic. Book!!
I loved every bit of this. A dark, twisted story involving religious tones and bigotry.

I was extremely saddened to learn the author has passed away - I very much enjoyed this and hoped for more. I wish his family the best and long live his works.

It just wasn’t my cup of tea. I’m not sure why I didn’t connect, maybe it’s just a dark twist on a beloved tale that didn’t sit right.

I don’t know what I was expecting from this book but an addictive murder mystery was not it. While this book is about Dorothy Gale, it has nothing to do with the land of Oz. It is a historical murder mystery. We start with a tornado ripping through a community and everybody looking for Dorothy. She is missing for four days. She just walks out of field and says here I am and I have been in Oz. Dorothy is a tad bit scared because she melted a witch. The community thinks she’s crazy. And until a few days later when one of the matriarchs of the town is found dead with her face melted off. The first half of this book is “what to do with Dorothy”. Did Dorothy do it? The town has a hearing (not a trial) to show if evidence can prove Dorothy could have killed this woman. The evidence is interesting and intriguing and me going WTF! Dorothy is sent to live in an asylum. And that takes us the halfway point.
The second half of this book is learning more about the towns people because there is somebody who thinks this can’t be Dorothy and they’re bound determined to prove it. Listening to this book it felt like a cross between the old movie Return to Oz. At least the part of that movie before she ends up back in Oz, and To Kill a Mockingbird. That seems like a weird comparison, but that’s just the way it made me feel. The second half of the book feels like different version of an old show called Christy. A big city lady coming into a new town and a type of life she doesn’t understand but trying to make things happen. This book was addictive. It was engrossing and the entire time I’m listening it I keep thinking - I want this for Book Club. I want to talk to other readers; I want to talk to all my Oz loving friends and ask “What do you think?”. At the end of the audiobook the reader is notified that the author has died, and this was their last work. I haven’t read anything else by this author and it’s a shame that he is gone because I would read what he would do next.

I loved this book! I am one of those people that always finish a standalone movie or book wondering what happens to the characters after it ends. This is true for a movie I’ve seen a hundred times (my mom was a huge fan of The Wizard of Oz).

In this book, you get a look at the story of 11-year old Dorothy, after returning from Oz-a magical place, scarcely different from Kansas. Of course no one will believe her tales and begin to believe she is delusional, especially after a crime has been committed.

The audiobook was done fantastically. It was a great tempo, voice was perfectly suited for the book, and was so easy to hear and follow along.

The book itself was a quick read/listen at just 240 pages/7hrs 43 min audiobook.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC. I hated to hear that the author has since passed away, but would love to thank him for this wonderful work.

After Oz is a dark retelling of the Wizard of Oz. In After Oz, the reader gets to see Dorothy after the Wizard of Oz takes place. When Dorothy returns from Oz, she tells her family what occurred. Everyone thinks her “stories” are delusional and diabolical. It doesn’t help that a local ends up dead. The authorities find “evidence” and Dorothy gets sent to an insane asylum. When Evelyn (the psychologist) interviews Dorothy she has some doubts that Dorothy committed the crime.

If you are a fan of the Wizard of Oz and Dorothy, this book is for you. Although it says it’s a retelling, it’s more of a continuation as it starts when Dorothy is returning home.

There isn’t a whole lot of Dorothy in this book. She’s the main character, yes, but it is more of Evelyn and the townspeople than Dorothy.

The reader must also keep in mind that the book takes place in the 1800s, so times were different. Beliefs and values were different. Views were different.

After Oz was a good read. It had me hooked from the beginning and wanting to solve the mystery.

Most of us know the story of Dorothy and the land of Oz, but few of us know what happened when she returned to her home in Kansas. Alpine takes us on a sometimes dark adventure telling us the next chapter in Dorothy’s story. One that might just surprise you! As Dorothy’s story comes out, she is branded as wicked and when a woman from the town is found murdered with her face melted from lye, Dorothy is immediately considered guilty as she’s already admitted to melting a witch in her journeys. Considered dangerous, Dorothy is sent to an insane asylum. When a young woman psychologist journeys to Kansas, she begins to doubt Dorothy’s guilt. The only way to save Dorothy is to figure out who the real murderer is. This was a unique story filled with small town bigotry and prejudice, told in two voices, it was definitely one that was engaging from beginning to end! Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for an ALC of this book.

In 1896 young Dorothy Gale goes missing during a tornado that sweeps over the town. After being missing for four days, she appears out of nowhere, talking nonsense about a magical land with wizards and witches, tinmen and cowardly lions. Dorothy has always been a weird child, so the townsfolk put it all up for childish imagination. Dorothy mentions that she melted a witch's face off, and it gets even stranger when an old woman who was called a witch by the town's children is found dead the next day with her face melted off...

'After Oz' is a story of what happened to Dorothy after she returned from Oz. It is told in a dual POV, one being an unnamed townperson and the other being Dr. Evelyn Grace Wilford. To my surprise, Dorothy wasn't that big of a character in the story itself, and she's rather just someone to who all of the different plotlines and characters are somehow connected.

I liked the story in general. It was an interesting concept to write about, and the town's cultish vibes added to the story. However, I felt like some questions that needed answers weren't answered and it felt more like the author didn't bother to solve them. I'm all for leaving some things as a mystery for the reader to figure out, but in this case, it felt more like the case of lazy writing.

I'd recommend it to anyone interested in an old-timey and cult vibey murder mystery/psychological thriller.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Dark tale of what happens when Dorothy returns front Oz. Very little Dorothy in the book but huge focus on religion in a small Kansas town in 1896. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook

Have you ever wondered what happened after Dorothy returned from visiting Oz? If you have, then you might After Oz, which tackles exactly that question, though with a bit of a specific framework in mind.

In After Oz, we follow Dorothy’s story after she returns from Oz after being swept up in the storm. The problem is, when Dorothy tells people about her adventures in Oz and insists that it was real, they think she’s merely raving like a madman and as a result send her to the Topeka Insane Asylum. And to make matters even more complicated, a local woman who is often referred to as a ‘witch’ by fellow townsfolk due to her less than pleasant demeanor is found dead in a manner eerily reminiscent of Dorothy’s description of ‘melting’ a woman by throwing a bucket of water on her while in Oz. Because of this, Dorothy becomes the prime suspect in the mysterious murder, with no one on her side except the mysterious visiting psychiatrist Dr. Evelyn Grace Wilford who shows up in the town of Sunbonnet to aid her.

The story is primarily narrated through letters written by Dr. Wilford to her mentor. This epistolary format allowed for what felt like a very comprehensive look into Dr. Wilford’s thoughts and both professional and personal observations, which really lets the readers have a more introspective look into everything happening in Sunbonnet (at least from Dr. Wilford’s eyes, anyway). I found her chapters to be thoughtfully written and rich in detail, which allowed her personality to shine through.

There are also some chapters interspersed told from the perspective of an unnamed townsperson who appears to be a spokesman of sorts for the town and therefore acts as a viewpoint into the ‘opposing’ side who believes in Dororthy’s guilt and develops a strong dislike for Dr. Wilford. I can’t say I enjoyed these chapters quite as much as Dr. Wilford’s, but I think the insight they provided for the rest of the town was vital to better understanding the dynamics at play in this story.

My only real complaint about the perspectives in this book is what’s lacking, and that’s any perspectives from Dorothy herself. I understand now that the focus of the book is clearly meant to be on the murder and events surrounding her, with Dorothy acting as the central focus that draws everything together, but I really expected and hoped for more from Dorothy given the premise.

After Oz has a very strong ‘whodunnit’ nature to it, which I wasn’t really expecting (although after reading the book I noticed it was published by Crooked Lane Books, a popular mystery publisher, so this might’ve clued me in if I’d noticed it, haha!), but which managed to keep me engaged throughout. The story is relatively fast-paced in a good way and maintained a very consistent flow to it that made it hard for me to put down. Many of the additional townsfolk were a bit cardboard-like in personality, but the way they were included and used in the story made them more engaging and even provided a nice foil to Dr. Wilford’s intellect and keen eye. I was also pleasantly surprised by some of the twists and turns that I think really kept this story exciting.

As previously mentioned, while I initially hoped for a bit more of Dorothy’s perspective on returning from Oz and re-adapting to her life in Kansas, the focus ont he mystery of the murdered woman and Dorothy’s return and repercussions was still very compelling. I still had a lot of fun with this and it makes me curious about what else could be done with this story without the murdered woman taking center stage? Would Dorothy still be sent to a mental asylum, and what would other repercussions be?

I listened to the audiobook version of After Oz and thought it was excellently done. The narrator succeeded in bringing the characters to life with distinct and entertaining voices and inflections for each. I definitely recommend the audiobook for this one if you are someone who enjoys the audio format!

Regardless, I found After Oz to be an engaging read that I finished quickly due to the engaging mystery elements and various twists that popped up around town. Overall, I’ve given After Oz 3.75 stars. While it may not have delved into the magical land of Oz itself or focused as much on Dorothy’s perspective, it was still a really fascinating look at a possible aftermath of such a unique and remarkable experience. If you like mysteries and classic tales, then I’d encourage you to give this one a read.

I was initially skeptical... the first part of the book was just different. I was not sure where we were going.

Then I was hooked. What happens to Dorothy after Oz? It really is a great concept. The tie in to L. Frank Baum and the origins of the original story was so smooth. After Oz takes the Wizard of Oz and brings it down to earth. How would late 1800s society--small town, at that--handle a girl who miraculously survives a tornado only to tell a tale of traveling through a magical land and returning to Kansas by tapping her heels together? Probably just as After Oz lays it out.

This ultimately morphs into a murder mystery, who-dun-it style. A true gem for Wizard of Oz fans.

I genuinely thought this book would have more "oompf" than it did. It lagged some and shed a different light on the whole story of Dorothy, her family, and the town.

This is one psychiatrist's big idea to prove Dorothy's innocence and free her, while uncovering buried small-town secrets and hypocrisy. The historical misogyny was a tough pill to swallow, as was the anti-science Chrstianity that prevailed in the face of pure facts. I did like the element of incorporating Baum into the story, though.

And a reminder that Dorothy was only 11 when she went to Oz, which I think is lost on fans who only watched the movie with all adult actors.

This was a fine book. As a big fan of The Wizard of Oz, this retelling was very intriguing and I liked the premise a lot. However, I didn’t really like format of the story and the pacing was very odd.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the free audiobook in exchange for my honest review. This is narrated by Maria Ru-Djen who does a fantastic job! I highly recommend the audiobook!

So Wicked is what happened before Dorothy came to OZ and The WIzard of Oz is Dorothy in Oz...this is the story of what life for Dorothy was like when she returned home to Kansas after her fantastical trip.

The story is told from the perspective of the Doctor who is trying to prove Dorothy's innocence and an unnamed resident of her small Kansas town who is convinced of her guilt. The townsperson is full of hatred and vitriol (complete with bible verses to justify both), while Dr. Wilford is a much more sympathetic character. Dorothy, Toto, and Oz are surprisingly not all that prominent in the story. Its hard to imagine Dorothy being locked away in the Topeka Insane Asylum for most of the book.

This is definitely an unusual twist on a classic tale! Maybe Dorothy should have stayed in Oz as her overly pious town residents think she is nuts.

3.5 rounded up.

I am obsessed with anything related to Wizard of Oz, so when I saw this book I requested it immediately. 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. I listened to the audiobook version of this novel, and thought the narrator Maria Ru-Djen did an excellent job.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
•
Have you ever wondered, What happened to Dorothy after returning home to Kansas? Inspired by Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz, McAlpine dives into the time period and just what could have happened to Dorothy.
•
I absolutely love the Wizard of Oz, always have, always will, so I was super stoked to read this afterword of what could have been. The story starts out strong, Dorothy return talking about this fantastic land and then the body of a nasty recluse is discovered appearing to have been “melted.” Now being that we are in the God fearing ages, the only logical explanation would be that Dorothy was guilty.
•
This is more of a steady paced book. The POV shifts throughout between a member of the community (I believe) and via Dr. Wilford’s correspondents. I was excited about this premise and while I still enjoyed this book; it felt like it relied a little too heavily on religious bigotry, whereas I wanted more recollection of Dorothy’s memories of Oz and/or her time in the Topeka Insane Asylum. Alot of the characters were difficult to like, as their beliefs were forced upon so many others.
•
After Oz is still a mystery and I loved how that mystery was solved and the twists that were placed throughout the story. I also loved a very specific part of the story which pays homage to Baum.
•
Overall, I enjoyedd this one, I just wuish there were less religious aspects (though I am aware it was the time period)… It’s a good mystery and a solid possible outcome as to what happened to Dorothy Gale. Recommending to my mystery fans!
•
I was able to listen to this one via audio while reading along with my ARC. Maria Ru-Djen was a phenomenal narrator. I loved how she brought this to life for me. Highly recommend the audio if you plan to pick this one up!
•
After Oz is releasing 8/6, huge thank you to @netgalley, Gordon McAlpine, @dreamscape_media and @crookedlanebooks for the ALC and ARC in exchange for my honest review!
•
What is your favorite classic movie?

Thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the digital audiobook; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

True story: I’ve never read or listened to the OZ books by L. Frank Baum. My only experience with the yellow brick road has been the MGM masterpiece, which we watched every Easter season. I knew that it varied greatly from the books, which were much darker in tone. After Oz is a continuation of the time after Dorothy returns from Oz and tells a fantastical tale about killing a witch.

No offense to the dead, but I’m not a big fan of what Gordon McAlpine brought to the Oz universe. Dorothy only appears for a few brief chapters, and then the rest of the book turns into sort of a police procedural, but in a psychological study. It’s an interesting take, that’s for sure.

At its heart, this book is a condemnation of small town, conservative, religious living and their failure to accept one person’s truth. I’m sure that’s an allegory for today’s climate. Maybe that’s why the book is so dark and foreboding?

I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy the book. It was outside my wheelhouse and I enjoyed it for what it was, but if you’re expecting a lot of Dorothy and the merry old land of OZ, you’ll be disappointed.

I received an advanced audio copy of this from Net Galley, in exchange for my honest opinions.

I loved this one! I originally read this description and then couldn't get it out of my head and had to go back and request it- I'm so glad I did. When I was much younger I read thru a good many of the Oz books, was traumatized by the 1986 movie Return to Oz, and as an adult read Wicked. There are so many stories that could still be told about Oz.

For me this one harkened back to the movie Return to Oz. And I'm there for it! This story is less Oz centered, and in a way more Dorothy after oz centered (although, the story isn't really told from her perspective either). Dorothy wakes up in a pumpkin patch 4 days later with a fantastical tale about talking animals, good and bad witches and especially melting a bad witch. Sunbonnet Kansas is that small community (with the emphasis on SMALL) and when the local old woman is murdered, Dorothy is easiest suspect and winds up in the asylum. Book is told from the perspective of the doctor, and the town's people.

I loved this one! highly recommend