Before Dorothy

Before Dorothy

Hazel Gaynor

Large print - 2025

"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 E...mily'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."--

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LARGE PRINT/FICTION/Gaynor, Hazel
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Location Call Number   Status
1st Floor New Large Print Shelf LARGE PRINT/FICTION/Gaynor, Hazel (NEW SHELF) Due Nov 12, 2025
Subjects
Gale, Dorothy > (Fictitious character) > Family > Fiction.
Farm life > Kansas > Fiction.
Family secrets > Fiction.
Sisters > Fiction.
Married people > Fiction.
Orphans > Fiction.
Aunts > Fiction.
Nieces > Fiction.
Secrecy > Fiction.
Dust storms > Fiction.
Dust Bowl Era, 1931-1939 > Fiction.
Chicago (Ill.) > Fiction.
Kansas > Fiction.
United States > History > 1919-1933 > Fiction.
large print books.
Historical fiction.
Large type books.
Livres en gros caractères.
Genres
large print books
Historical fiction
Large type books
Livres en gros caractères
Published
Thorndike, Maine : Center Point Large Print 2025.
Language
English
Main Author
Hazel Gaynor (author)
Other Authors
L. Frank (Lyman Frank) Baum, 1856-1919 (-)
Edition
Center Point Large Print edition
Item Description
Regular print version previously published by: Berkley.
Includes discussion questions, historical note, and author's note.
Physical Description
511 pages (large print) ; 23 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (page 500).
ISBN
9798891645820
Contents unavailable.
Review by Booklist Review

Most of us know Emily Gale as the no-nonsense aunt from The Wizard of Oz, but who was she as a young woman? Gaynor's Emily is courageous and optimistic, sharing her late mother's dream of living on the Kansas prairie, not afraid of hard work. She marries Henry, who relocates to Kansas to prepare their new home while Emily stays in Chicago until her sister gives birth to a baby girl. Nine years later, Emily brings that young girl to Kansas and tries to learn how to be a mother. Set amid the Dust Bowl, this novel encapsulates the immense joys and heartbreaks of prairie life, where nature's whims hold all the power and good neighbors are a lifeline. The dual time line is accompanied by excerpts from Emily's thoughtful journal. Detailed descriptions capture each of the senses as this novel explores the cost of going after our dreams and what it means to truly be a family. Rife with allusions to the original source material, this is an engaging backstory with depth that will give book clubs much to discuss.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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