Finding Dorothy by Elizabeth Letts

FINDING DOROTHY by Elizabeth Letts is a LibraryReads choice for February 2019 which will definitely appeal to readers of historical fiction and of works by authors like Lisa Wingate, Paula McClain, and Melanie Benjamin. In Letts’ novel, Maud Gage Baum, the widow of L. Frank Baum, is in Hollywood during the 1938-39 filming of The Wizard of Oz, but the story also moves back and forth in time to recount her childhood and married years. It is a fictionalized account filled with real people and events like Maud’s early life near Syracuse, her stint as an undergrad at Cornell and times with her husband in South Dakota and Chicago. As such, the text also offers an informative look at turn of the century America and a more rural time.  In addition, there is a theme of women’s rights – due to connections to Maud’s mother who was a fairly famous suffragette, to dangers of pregnancy, and to later treatment of Hollywood actresses like the young Judy Garland.   

Booklist called Maud “a fascinating character” and I totally concur; I especially enjoyed seeing how elements of her life story may have found their way into Baum’s books. Publishers Weekly gave FINDING DOROTHY a starred review. There are many surprises and much for fans of the movie to enjoy here.