BEFORE DOROTHY
By: Hazel Gaynor
Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
Published: June 17, 2025
Publisher: Berkley
Historical Fiction
I’ve always adored the movie The Wizard of Oz and was familiar with Hazel Gaynor’s writing from LAST CHRISTMAS IN PARIS. Gaynor expertly imagines the story of Emily and Henry Gale before Dorothy came to be part of their lives and through the famous tornado that struck their farm. We first meet Emily as a young woman growing up in Chicago with her sister. Emily and Annie are vastly different. In the 1920s, Emily and her new husband, Henry, dream of leaving the city and starting their life in Kansas on their own piece of land. Annie marries a businessman and is happy to be a housewife and eventually a mother.
“Passion burned in his eyes as he spoke. Emily was scorched by it. “That’s a beautiful dream you have, Henry Gale.”
Emily and Henry begin their lives in Kansas, soon living through The Great Depression, during years of dry seasons when it fails to rain and dust storms appear out of nowhere. Emily and Henry struggle as farmers in Kansas, but believe that the next wheat season will be profitable. Then tragedy strikes, and Dorothy comes to live with Emily and Henry.
“She knew he wouldn’t fully relax again until the spring thaws came and he could watch the fields for the first green shoots. Until then, the only thing they could harvest was hope and love. And that, they had plenty of.”
As Gaynor imagines the story before Dorothy’s trip to Oz, readers are treated to numerous easter eggs that tie the story to The Wizard of Oz. From Annie and Dorothy’s love for the circus and its performers, including a high-flying artist, to a tin man doll that was a gift, to Henry’s stories of lions, tigers, and bears, Gaylor’s small connections to the classic story give the reader some excitement as the approaching dust storm tornado leads Dorothy to her magical dream.
This mix of historical fiction based on actual events, plus the imagined story connected to a much-loved classic, is perfect for fans of The Wizard of Oz as well as those who love reading about strong women who struggled but fought to save their families and their livelihoods. Emily and Henry’s relationship, their friendships among the Kansas farmers, and their deep love for Dorothy remind us of simpler times and the struggle to make a life worth living.
“I would take it all on again tomorrow to be here with you, right now. We wouldn’t have had the wonderful if we’d never had the wicked.”
After the storm, when Dorothy returns home from her journey to Oz, Emily realizes that home is wherever she is with those she loves. I highly recommend reading THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ after this book, but keep in mind that the classic is much darker than the movie version. This was a joint listening and reading experience. Saskia is quickly becoming a favorite narrator for me.
“The most desolate place imaginable can feel safer than the prettiest place on earth, as long as those you love are with you. Finally, I found the answer. My home is wherever Dorothy is. And Henry. And Toto. Home is, quite simply, wherever there is love.”
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