This is a delightful story and a prequel to the Wizard of Oz. There are terrific descriptions of the prairies with insightful context on tornadoes and the dust bowl. It's a wonderful account of how Dorothy came to be in Kansas and how Toto got his name. I won't give too many details away but it's a lovely story.

Another great historical fiction read from Hazel Gaynor, this time a prequel to the Wizard of Oz characters. I had forgotten a lot of that storyline but enjoyed the nods to Oz and also a full story set in the challenges of living during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl of the late 1920s and 30s. Many thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for the ARC

Brilliant. Just gorgeous and heart warming. Even though this is based on a fictional story, I adored every second of it. Thank you netgallley for the arc.

Hazel Gaynor has published yet another wonderful book!

I found the idea of a prequel to the Wizard of Oz focussing on Aunty Em very original. In particular, looking at her as a sister, as a wife, as a woman and as an aunt who becomes a mother. The book is full of allusions to the Wizzard of Oz. It delves into Emily's life before Dorothy came to live with her and her husband Henry: her childhood with her sister and their adult relations, the decision Emily made to go live in Kansas with Henry, Annie's death and how Dorothy came to live with Em and Henry.

I thoroughly enjoyed the well-developed characters in the book, each one captivating in their own way. Emily stands out as the strongest, a blend of determination, vulnerability, toughness, and sensitivity. And then, there is: Henry, a pillar of strength; Leo, the former circus performer turned rainmaker; Adelaïde Watson, the fairy godmother aviator; Wilhelmina West, the grouchy neighbour. The author has skilfully crafted a cast of characters that brings Emily’s story to life.

The background to this story is well researched and vividly told: the Great Depression in the late 1920s and early 1930s, as well as the climate disasters in the plains of Kansas. Readers are transported back to these times through storms and dust twisters, the ruin of farmers and their struggles to survive, the making of dresses from sacks, and the hardships faced by those who chose to live in the Kansas plains.
And throughout is a permanent theme of home. There is nothing like home. But what is home? Who is home? And how does one know that one has found their home.

I have seen other reviews that found the pace too slow. I definitely noticed the pace slowing down at times but I thought it was perfectly adjusted to what the author was tyring to convey in those parts of the story.

A very beautiful book which kept me captivated from beginning to end.

Chicago, 1924: Emily Gale is a new bride and she stays behind to help her sister Annie who’s expecting her first child and while her husband Henry travels to the Kansas prairie to start building their farm and house. Annie can’t understand why the couple would want to leave the city, this causes some tension between the sisters and they have always been close. When Emily arrives in Liberal, she adores the homestead Henry has created and she embraces the wide open spaces, wildflowers and being a farmer’s wife.

Kansas, 1932: Henry and Emily have worked hard, made friends in the community and unfortunately the couple haven’t been blessed with children. When Emily receives a telegram informing her Annie and husband John have been killed in an accident and she and Henry are seven year old Dorothy’s legal guardians. The Great depression and drought have taken it's toll on Emily and Henry, how can she expect a pampered child from the city to live in a place plagued by tornadoes and dust storms and snakes and disappointment.

I received a copy of Before Dorothy by Hazel Gaynor from NetGalley and HarperCollins UK in exchange for an unbiased and honest review. Full of vivid and heartbreaking descriptions of Depression era Kansas, from flour sack dresses, a lady barnstormer and a rainmaker called Leo and the dust storms and terrible pneumonia it caused. Emily’s character was my favourite, she was strong, yet vulnerable and she was very unsure what her role would be in Dorothy’s life and would she be able help her navigate the rest of her childhood and being teenager.

The narrative is rich with details that pays tribute to L. Frank Baum’s one hundred and twenty five year old classic novel, and they refer to the little hints as “Easter Eggs” and it’s fun when you come across a familiar one. A story about family, types of loss, survival, there’s no place like home, how love and understanding can grow and when you least expect it and never give up hope.

A book to savour and despite at times it did move slowly and Hazel Gaynor always delivers an unputdownable read and one that makes you think and feel emotionally invested and five stars from me.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for this eCopy to review

I didn’t expect to be so moved by a story about Aunt Em—but Before Dorothy surprised me in the best way. Hazel Gaynor breathes life into a character I’d barely thought about since childhood, transforming her from a stern figure in The Wizard of Oz into a fully realized woman with dreams, heartbreak, and grit. While the pacing dragged at times, the emotional depth and historical richness made this a memorable read.

🌪️ Plot Summary
Set between 1924 and 1935, Before Dorothy follows Emily Gale, a spirited young woman who leaves behind the bustle of Chicago for a new life on the Kansas prairie with her husband, Henry. What begins as a hopeful pursuit of the American dream slowly unravels as the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl take their toll. Tragedy strikes when Emily’s sister Annie dies, leaving behind her daughter—Dorothy.

Emily, now hardened by years of drought and disappointment, must navigate the complexities of motherhood, grief, and survival. As dust storms rage and secrets from the past resurface, Emily’s bond with Dorothy becomes both her greatest challenge and her salvation.

🌾 What I Loved
Emily’s Journey: Watching Emily evolve from a hopeful newlywed to a weary but resilient guardian was incredibly moving. Her inner conflict—especially around becoming a mother to Dorothy—was portrayed with nuance and honesty.

Historical Detail: Gaynor’s depiction of Depression-era Kansas is vivid and immersive. From flour sack dresses to the terrifying “Black Sunday” dust storm, the setting felt alive and tangible.

Oz Easter Eggs: I loved the subtle nods to Baum’s original—Dorothy’s silver shoes, a rainmaker named Leo (a clever echo of the Wizard), and even a daring aviatrix who brought a touch of magic to the bleak landscape.

Themes of Home and Resilience: The novel beautifully explores what it means to create a home in the face of loss, and how love can grow in unexpected places.

🐢 What Slowed Me Down
Pacing: The middle of the book, especially during the extended drought sequences, felt slow. I understand that this mirrored the monotony and despair of the time, but it did test my patience.

🧡 Final Thoughts
Before Dorothy is a heartfelt, atmospheric novel that reimagines a forgotten character with compassion and depth. It’s not a fast-paced read, but it’s a rewarding one—especially if you enjoy historical fiction with emotional resonance and literary flair.

If you’ve ever wondered how Dorothy ended up in Kansas, or if you simply love stories about strong women weathering life’s storms (literal and metaphorical), this one’s worth your time.

As a fan of Wizard of Oz I enjoyed reading this especially the backstory of a character I didn't know much of aside from the small role in the film (Aunty Em) and how she raised her niece.

This is a really interesting novel, telling the story of Aunt Em, she of Wizard of Oz fame, and it gives a really great glimpse at her life before Dorothy and after! And if you're a fan of the Oz world, aren't we all?!, then it is a really nice take on a character we don't know too much about.

This is the story of her life in Chicago and Kansas - very different places and very different lives. When she marries Henry she moves to Kansas to be a farmer's wife with the hard work that entails but she thrives in that environment. A very different life to the one she led back in Chicago with her sister Annie and it was interesting too to see the girls as they faced tragedy together in their life, and how that shaped their relationship. And then how that changed when boys entered the fray!

This was a really well written family drama, as you really get sucked into the lives of these characters, especially knowing what happened in the years to come, and it gives that added value to a well known story that so many of us grew up with. There are many nods to the original story, and I loved that connection - it's made me want to watch the film again and read the book! Seeing a young Dorothy spending time with Aunt Em, knowing what she's been through was a treat as you see the efforts that Em put in despite her own grief and her own suffering that she'd been through in her life. Highly recommended!

'We all need something magical to guide us, something bigger to hope for, a reason to believe that the impossible might just become possible after all'.

Emily Gale is living out her dream of expansive skies and fields of gold in Kansas, along with her husband Henry. Although the work is hard, and the danger of tornadoes is an annual threat, the rewards are plenty. But Emily's dreams take a tragic twist, when she is informed not only of her sister and brother-in-law's death but that she is now to be the caregiver of their child, Dorothy. And that's not the only challenge, lately the rain has stopped falling and the only dark clouds around seem to be full of smothering dust, 'We didn't know we were destroying the land we loved; that we would soon be harvesting our despair...'. With the Gales' dreams seeming to fail like their crops, and now with another mouth to feed, where has all of life's magic gone?

'Before Dorothy' is told in a dual timeline: one about life before Dorothy and the other about life since.
I enjoyed reading about life on the prairie during the tough times of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl era. Sprinkling the seeds of Dorothy, Toto and the magic of the Wizard of Oz added a fun, nuanced angle but didn't feel contrived. I believe both Wizard of Oz fans and historical fiction fans will get a lot out of Hazel Gaynor's latest offering.

'The prairie taught me that life never goes as planned. It was the hardest lesson of all, to accept that we are nothing but tumbleweed, blown by the whims of fortune and destiny'.

I Really enjoyed this interesting take on the wizard of Oz story. It’s a telling of the story of Auntie Em and Uncle Henry , how they ended up in Kansas, how Dorothy came to be with them and where it went from there.

The way the author references Oz characters in qualities of several people that show up throughout the story was clever and added to the whimsical quality of the story.

The story does however have some heaviness to it. The author’s depictions of the Wall street crash of 1929 and the Dust bowl are real and gritty.

Highly recommend for anyone who finds The Oz story compelling.

Helen Gaynor's brilliant new novel 'Before Dorothy' helps us to find out how Dorothy came to live with Auntie Em. The cleverly told story is set in two timelines. The first one brings you to Chicago in 1924 where sisters Annie and Emily are young, hopeful and eager to experience life and love. The second one is set in Kansas in 1932 where Emily Gale takes in her orphaned niece Dorothy and tries to give her a home while battling the forces of nature in the Prairies.
I love all the subtle references to 'The Wizard Of Oz', especially the silver shoes, the Tin Man and the wicked West sisters. The description of the Dust Bowl and the farming hardship and Tornados remind me of Kristin Hannah's 'Four Winds'.
While this novel is a standalone it is painting a picture of Dorothy's possible life and in its middle is the hardship of trying to make a life against nature, the strong courageous women who don't give up and the quest for finding love and a home.
Simply Brilliant! Read it!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Fiction for the opportunity to read and review this wonderful novel.

📚 Book Review 📚
Title: Before Dorothy by Hazel Gaynor
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

I loved this new take on Dorothy, Auntie Em and Henry through this book. I loved the references to the Wizard of Oz from the silver slippers to the lion teddy, tin man and the Irish doll made of straw. Loved these elements of the book that brought in key characters from the Wizard of Oz.

At the beginning of this book we meet Auntie Emily and Dorothy at a turbulent time. Dorothy's parents have just died and she's being sent to love with her aunt and uncle Emily and Henry to Kansas, a place she's never been. We see the emotions Emily goes through at losing her sister and her new responsibilities as a mother figure to Dorothy. We see her journey from Kansas to Chicago and her subsequent return to Kansas with Dorothy. We see the harsh realities of farming life for Emily and Henry in Kansas especially with the dust storms, tornados and the lack of rain. It does shy away from these realities and other harsh elements of life and dealing with grief.

I loved Emily's character and how she's not perfect in this. We see her flaws and her good elements. Her life in Kansas, her relationship with Henry which isn't perfect, her sense of community and her determination. I loved the dual timeline that also gave us an insight into her relationship with Dorothy's mother Annie, their closeness and why things went a little frosty. I loved these chapters!

I loved the historical aspects from the real life events of the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression you can clearly see they were thoroughly researched and it brought to life just how hard living during that time was. You really feel for Emily and Henry throughout this.

Overall, I loved this book and would definitely recommend it! It was much different to what I expected in a good way.

Favourite quote:
"Home is, quite simply, wherever there is love."

I found this book absolutely fascinating.

Firstly , as a long time fan of The Wizard of Oz film, being able to read a story about Aunt Em and how she came to be her niece Dorothy's carer was an absolute delight. And all the references to the film were a joy to notice, not to mention fun.

Secondly the historical fiction aspect. I'm such a fan of Hazel's writing and am making my way through her back catalogue. Her writing always vividly captures a time and place and this book transported me right to 1930's Kansas prairie; of which I have to say I knew nothing; there was so much to learn and I definitely spent some time googling as I made my way through.

This is a truly special book if you are a Wizard of Oz fan, and wonderful even if you're not!

Despite not being a great fan of the Wizard of Oz I am one of Hazel Gaynor. Any book she writes is straight onto my TBR list and this was no exception. I love the idea of telling Auntie Em's story and hinting at where the other familiar characters and motifs from the Wizard of Oz might have come from. The author writes with feeling of how unimaginably hard life was during the drought of the 1930s for those living in the dust bowl of America. She manages to convey very clearly the poverty and hardship suffered by the people who were left to cope alone with the destruction of their way of life. The characters of Emily and Dorothy are especially vivid and relatable as are the descriptions of the extreme weather. I felt myself reading quicker and quicker as the tornado developed and Henry and Emily raced for safety. A brilliant, well researched book which taught me something as well as entertaining me. Who can ask for more from a book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for this ARC. Emily and Henry have moved to Kansas, leaving behind her sister Annie in Chicago. When Annie and her husband are killed, Emily is made guardian of her daughter Dorothy. Now living on the plains of Kansas during the dust bowl, life seems bleak but they have each other. This sweet story, filling in the blanks of Dorothy before the Wizard of Oz is something I didn't even know I needed! Hazel Gaynor took Baum's fictional character and made her come to life! #BeforeDorothy #HazelGaynor #HarperCollinsUK #June2025

I loved this story!

Hazel Gaynor treats us to a new visit to the characters of The Wizard of Oz, concentrating on Dorothy's Aunt Em, and the reasoning behind Dorothy living with her and Uncle Henry.

Emily is a beautiful character, determined to follow her dreams, which lie in the Kansas prairies and making a life on the farm with Henry - her one and only love; their love is instant and beautiful. However, their dreams are disrupted with the death of Dorothy's mother, and they suddenly find themselves occupying the parental role to Dorothy - one that they have sadly never achieved themselves.

The setting and the environment are harsh and vivid, and the characters inhabit it with fortitude, grit and strength. The historical context of the great dust bowl of the prairies and its destruction of the farmers' livelihoods all add to this powerful read.

"𝑴𝒂𝒎𝒎𝒚 𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒂𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆."

Before the Land of Oz and the Wonderful Wizard, Dorothy’s aunt Em sets off on her own adventure, moving from Chicago to the rolling plains of Kansas, where along with her husband Henry, they are determined to make their dreams of farm life a reality. Soon, however, the dream is shaken when Emily’s beloved sister and her husband - Dorothy’s parents - are lost in a tragedy, and Dorothy must come to stay with her aunt and uncle in Kansas.

This book honestly made my heart sing - the little Easter Eggs about witches, straw men, lions, the silver shoes (and many more) really hooked me in from the start. The story is not really about Dorothy or Oz though, it’s auntie Em’s story and I was captivated by it. The highs and lows, triumphs and devastation, it really captured me. On top of that, I was fascinated by the historical elements of the novel with regards to Kansas, the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. I found myself off on a Google tangent looking at the pictures of scenes so vividly described in the book.

I also loved the link back to Ireland, which really brought the book to another level for me - this really was a hug-in-a-book, and it’s made me want to read L. Frank Baum’s novel soon. All in all, a special read that I recommend to all, not just fans of the Wizard of Oz, although I imagine it might make the read that bit more special.

We all know Dorothy Gale; the young girl who finds herself ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ in the magical land of Oz. We know she lived in Kansas with her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, but how exactly did she come to be there? From a tale where we’re told relatively little about the guardians in Dorothy’s life, we’re brought behind the scenes when we open ‘Before Dorothy.’ In this book Hazel Gaynor creates the world of beloved Auntie Em, aka. Emily Gale. Who exactly was Emily Gale and how did she become Dorothy’s guardian?

Hazel’s imagining of Emily Gale was both heartwarming and intriguing. Emily’s Irish heritage felt authentic and I loved learning about how Emily came to be in guardianship of Dorothy. The story was written in a way that linked intrinsically with the original picture, and it stayed true to the characters and storyline that we know and love. Themes and motifs from the original motion picture permeated the text and I really enjoyed how Hazel imagined the life of the characters before Dorothy’s trip to Oz. The ways in which certain words and phrases were used were brilliant, laying a clear path for Dorothy’s subconscious mind when she’s struck down by the horrific weather conditions.

As with all Historical Fiction novels, I loved learning about the history of Kansas at the time. I enjoyed learning about the culture and economy, and just how drastic the living conditions got as the weather progressively worsened. I particularly loved the character of Adelaide; she provided great respite from the secrecy that we witness from most others throughout the book. She was the dash of colour that was needed in a dull and dreadful landscape.

I’d recommend this book. I loved how Hazel Gaynor decided to write about the woman behind the heroine; the woman who raised and taught Dorothy as though she were her own. Hazel has seen the importance of showing the women who teach, the women who help, the women who raise people to be brave and firm and sure of their values. Gaynor’s Emily is a strong, brave woman who casts fear aside to prove time and time again that she can do anything required of her. I enjoyed her character and getting to see what lead her to the prairies of Kansas.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This review will be posted to Instagram: @getting.back.to.books and to www.anotherchapterpodcast.ie on April 3rd 2025.

I’m sure most of us have seen The Wizard of Oz (and/or read L. Frank Baum’s classic novel on which it’s based), but how many of us have stopped to think about what happened to the characters before the story began? Why was Dorothy living with her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry? Who were her real parents? And how did the family come to be in Kansas in the first place? In Hazel Gaynor’s new novel, Before Dorothy, she sets out to answer these questions and more.

The book is written from the perspective of Emily Gale – Aunt Em – and begins in 1932 as she returns to Chicago following the death of her sister, Annie. Annie’s seven-year-old daughter, Dorothy, has been left an orphan and Emily and her husband, Henry, are to become her legal guardians. Emily hasn’t seen Dorothy since she was a baby – she and Henry now live in Kansas and her relationship with Annie has been very strained in recent years – and she’s not at all sure she’s the right person to care for a child, particularly one who has suffered the trauma of losing her parents. Once back in Kansas, however, Emily gradually begins to feel a stronger bond with Dorothy than she’d expected.

Moving backwards and forwards in time, we watch as Emily and Annie, originally from Connemara in Ireland, first arrive in Chicago in 1924 and meet their respective husbands, cousins Henry and John Gale. We also see how Emily makes the decision to start a new life with Henry in Kansas and what she discovers when she gets there. The focus is always on Emily rather than Dorothy and unlike the Baum novel and its adaptations, the story is firmly grounded in reality rather than fantasy.

I tend not to read many books that are spin-offs of classics or that borrow other authors’ characters and I only chose to read this one because I’ve enjoyed some of Hazel Gaynor’s previous work. I wasn’t sure I would like it, but I did – although I think it would probably have worked just as well if it had simply been a novel about an original fictional family living on the prairie, with no connection to the Gales. It was fun spotting the references to The Wizard of Oz, though. The scarecrow, tin man and lion all appear, as do the wizard, witches (good and wicked), the tornado and many more – although not necessarily in the form you would expect! Gaynor manages to work these references into the story in a way that feels believable and not too forced.

What I liked best about this book, though, was the portrayal of life on the prairie – the sense of adventure and optimism Emily and Henry feel when they first arrive, followed by a growing awareness that things are going to be much more difficult than they’d expected. With an influx of people coming to the Great Plains in large numbers to farm the land, there’s eventually a surplus of wheat, too much to be sold, leading to a drop in prices. Worse, the overexploitation of the land and removal of the prairie grasses, combined with a prolonged drought, causes severe dust storms (known as the Dust Bowl). The hardships and challenges faced by the Gales, as well as the environmental disaster unfolding around them, forms a big part of the novel.

I’m sure a lot of the people who read this book will have been drawn to it by the links with The Wizard of Oz, but even if that doesn’t appeal to you I think there’s still enough here to make it an enjoyable work of historical fiction in its own right.

The magic of oz with the lovely storytelling abilities of Hazel Gaynor and you have a winner!
I love the Wizard of Oz and this is a great addition to the overall Oz experience