A review by erindelvestheshelves
Before Dorothy by Hazel Gaynor

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book reminded me a lot of Marmee by Sarah Miller, which I read at the beginning of the year. Like Marmee and Little Women, Before Dorothy is absolutely loaded with callbacks to the world of the Wizard of Oz. I was fully invested in reading Aunt Em's perspective on raising Dorothy and living on the plains of Kansas, and the backstory about how she met Uncle Henry and where Dorothy came from (and about her parents) was absolutely brilliant. I've never been to Kansas or Chicago but as I read, I felt like I could picture both. The only piece I wasn't entirely sure about was Leo as a potential stand-in for the Wizard himself. That aside, Hazel Gaynor has written a brilliant novel and I'm looking forward to reading more from her!