Before Dorothy - by Hazel Gaynor (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Long before Dorothy visits Oz, her aunt, Emily Gale, sets off on her own unforgettable adventure...

Chicago, 1924: Emily and her new husband, Henry, yearn to leave the bustle of Chicago for the promise of their own American dream among the harsh beauty of the prairie. But leaving the city means leaving Emily's beloved sister, Annie, who was once closer to her than anyone in the world.

Kansas, 1932: Emily and Henry have established their new home among the warmth of the farming community in Kansas. Aligned to the fickle fortunes of nature, their lives hold a precarious and hopeful purpose, until tragedy strikes and their orphaned niece, Dorothy, lands on their doorstep.

The wide-eyed child isn't the only thing to disrupt Emily's world. Drought and devastating dust storms threaten to destroy everything, and her much-loved home becomes a place of uncertainty and danger. When the past catches up with the present and old secrets are exposed, Emily fears she will lose the most cherished thing of all: Dorothy.

Bursting with courage and heart, Before Dorothy tells the story of the woman who raised a beloved heroine, and ponders the question: what is the true meaning of home?

Review Quotes

"Bestselling author Hazel Gaynor does for Dorothy and her family what Wicked did for The Wicked Witch of the West in this Depression-era origin story that peels back the intriguing layers of Auntie Em, the woman who raised Dorothy. Even casual fans of The Wizard of Oz will find their eyes widening in recognition as elements of the land of the Yellow Brick Road -- the rainbow itself, the Tin Man, a stuffed lion with the power to comfort, wicked witches, and even fraudster wizards -- come alive in the real world of Kansas's Dust Bowl and become the threads that will eventually weave themselves into Dorothy's future. A story as glimmering as the Emerald City and as hopeful as Dorothy herself, Hazel Gaynor's latest is an important and enchanting addition to the canon of Oz."
--Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author of The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau

About the Author

Hazel Gaynor is an award-winning, New York Times, USA Today, Irish Times and internationally bestselling author known for her deeply moving historical novels which explore the defining events of the 20th century. A debut author recipient of the 2015 RNA Historical Novel of the Year award, her work has since been shortlisted for the 2019 HWA Gold Crown Award, the 2020 RNA Awards, and the Irish Book Awards in 2017, 2020 and 2023. When We Were Young & Brave was a national bestseller in the USA and her most recent novel, The Last Lifeboat, was a Times of London historical novel of the month and a 2024 Audie winner for Best Fiction Narrator. Hazel's next novel, Before Dorothy, will be published in June 2025. Her co-written historical novels with Heather Webb have all been published to critical acclaim. Their latest collaboration, Christmas with the Queen, will be published in November 2024. Her work has been translated into twenty languages and published in twenty-seven territories to date. She lives in Ireland with her family.