Finding Dorothy

A Novel

By: Elizabeth Letts

Narrated by: Ann Marie Lee, Elizabeth Letts

Length: 13 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

This richly imagined novel tells the story behind The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the book that inspired the iconic film, through the eyes of author L. Frank Baum’s intrepid wife, Maud.

“A breathtaking read that will transport you over the rainbow and into the heart of one of America’s most enduring fairy tales.” (Lisa Wingate, author of Before We Were Yours)

Hollywood, 1938: As soon as she learns that M-G-M is adapting her late husband’s masterpiece for the screen, 77-year-old Maud Gage Baum sets about trying to finagle her way onto the set. Nineteen years after Frank’s passing, Maud is the only person who can help the producers stay true to the spirit of the book - because she’s the only one left who knows its secrets.

But the moment she hears Judy Garland rehearsing the first notes of “Over the Rainbow,” Maud recognizes the yearning that defined her own life story, from her youth as a suffragette’s daughter to her coming of age as one of the first women in the Ivy League, from her blossoming romance with Frank to the hardscrabble prairie years that inspired The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Judy reminds Maud of a young girl she cared for and tried to help in South Dakota, a dreamer who never got her happy ending. Now, with the young actress under pressure from the studio as well as her ambitious stage mother, Maud resolves to protect her - the way she tried so hard to protect the real Dorothy.

The author of two New York Times best-selling nonfiction books, The Eighty-Dollar Champion and The Perfect Horse, Elizabeth Letts is a master at discovering and researching a rich historical story and transforming it into a pause-resister. Finding Dorothy is the result of Letts’s journey into the amazing lives of Frank and Maud Baum. Written as fiction but based closely on the truth, Elizabeth Letts’s new book tells a story of love, loss, inspiration, and perseverance, set in America’s heartland.

Praise for Finding Dorothy

“In some ways reminiscent of Jerry Stahl’s excellent I, Fatty, Letts’ Finding Dorothy combines exhaustive research with expansive imagination, blending history and speculation into a seamless tapestry.... It’s a testament to Letts’ skill that she can capture...that same emotion we have all felt sometime over the last 80 years while listening to ‘Over the Rainbow.’” (BookPage, starred review)

©2019 Elizabeth Letts (P)2019 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“A breathtaking read that will transport you over the rainbow and into the heart of one of America’s most enduring fairy tales and the hardscrabble life that inspired it. Gripping, fascinating, Finding Dorothy is a novel for anyone who ever stared in awe as Oz came to life onscreen, and wondered what other secrets lay hidden behind the curtain. A dream of a book you’ll want to savor and share!” (Lisa Wingate, author of Before We Were Yours)

“In some ways reminiscent of Jerry Stahl’s excellent I, Fatty, Letts’ Finding Dorothy combines exhaustive research with expansive imagination, blending history and speculation into a seamless tapestry.... It’s a testament to Letts’ skill that she can capture on the page, without benefit of audio, that same emotion we have all felt sometime over the last 80 years while listening to ‘Over the Rainbow.’” (BookPage, starred review)

“Beautifully researched and written, Finding Dorothy pulls back the curtain on a fascinating relationship behind the making of The Wizard of Oz.” (Martha Hall Kelly, author of Lilac Girls)

“Old Hollywood is its own kind of Oz in Finding Dorothy, complete with false dazzle and complex combinations of threat and allure. But what really satisfies here is the unlikely friendship between L. Frank Baum’s unsinkable widow, Maud, and the young Judy Garland, on the vulnerable cusp of fame. It’s an alliance that seems touched with magic and serendipity and something even more transformative, true understanding between women.” (Paula McLain, author of Love and Ruin)

Interesting

A bit sing-songy dialogue and the narrator was a bit dramatic for my liking but an interesting story, predominantly trie, nonetheless.

Sosizemore

I have just finished listening to Finding Dorothy and I am just mesmerized! I am of the generation that watched The Wizard of Oz on television every year. Knowing the back story makes the book and movie even more magical. I knew nothing of the author or his wife, even though I grew up in the Syracuse area.
This is the story of a man who created magic, often to the detriment of his family’s finances—-and the story of his wife, a woman raised by a woman’s suffragette who taught her to stand up for herself. Finally, it is the story of the making of an iconic movie remarkable for its time.
PS I must post a disclaimer: I was born on Halloween and have just the tiniest bit of the wicked witch in me!

Rainbow Rich Novel of Everyone’s Favorite Movie

Excellent story line with lots of details to ponder. Don’t miss the authors postscript which explains her ideas for some of them.

I’m not crazy about the reader however. Voice is very high pitched and overly dramatic.

amazing

Women have always had such an amazing influenece. Thankful for the suffrage movement, my body/my choice.

Extremely enjoyable

This was an excellent read! I loved how the story jumped from the late 1800’s to 1939 Hollywood. Maud Gage Baum is an extremely interesting character. So many themes running through this story; feminine empowerment, Hollywood legends, historic settings, a love story. This book has it all!

very enjoyable

I am not a big fan of the wizard of oz, but I
absolutely loved this book!

Fascinating Story!

I loved hearing the story of the lives L. Frank and Maud Baum. There was so much about them I didn't know. I especially enjoyed learning how different events of their lives served as inspiration for the Wizard of Oz story. The reader does a fantastic job of bringing all the different people to life. I almost felt like I was there with them.

A wonderful story

An enlightened story about the author of “The wizard Of Oz” and his family. I love how he created his characters.

So sad that Judy Garland was so mistreated starting at childhood leading to a tragic life.

Thoroughly enjoyed

Engaging, heartwarmingly real authentic people. Enlightening, rewarding and enriching. One I will miss and reference often.

Based on Fact

The story about the note in pocket. Getting to know the author and his every day happenings that lead to the story.