Hazel Gaynor's Before Dorothy is a fantastic book about the Great Depression. If it stood on its own two feet--without the Dorothy tie-in--it would be an even better book. This is one of the best evocations of the era I've read, packed with small historical details that bring the narrative to life. Her version of Em feels like it could have been real (although, frankly, I think the movie meant them to be Great Aunt Em and Great Uncle Henry, rather than contemporaries of Dorothy's parents). Really, this is a book with just so much to recommend it--a little slice of Americana.

This book is so beautiful and really does justice to a story that so many people have grown up with and love so dearly. I never knew that I needed the story from Auntie Em’s point of view, but I really did. I think this book does a beautiful job of giving Auntie Em such a heartwarming and beautiful story, while taking elements of what we know Dorothy experiences and putting it into a real-world setting. Even though this is based 100% in Kansas and there is no delving into the world of Oz, it still honors Oz. It also creates a Kansas that is beautiful, heartbreaking, and realistic. It takes what farmers who lived during that time and makes it come alive for the reader in such a lovely way. I truly cannot praise this book enough. I hope readers fall in love with it too.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

Dorothy's not the only one to discover there's no place like home. In "Before Dorothy," Auntie Em takes center stage in a somewhat familiar story of an orphan girl living in Kansas.

In Hazel Gaynor's tale, though, the story of Dorothy and Toto is set against the backdrop of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. The familiar story by L. Frank Baum was written before the economic crash and before the farmers stripped America's bread basket of its top soil.

You get plenty of touch points from the original tale and the 1939 movie starring Judy Garland. Readers get ruby and silver slippers, pointed shoes and striped socks, a tornado or two, a tin man, lion and scarecrow. Some seem natural in the story. Others might be a little more forced, but they all elicit a little excitement at meeting an old friend.

But this story is written from Auntie Em's point of view. You meet a woman whose excitement at living on a Kansas farm with her husband, Henry, is tempered by the weather challenges, including that long, long drought. Gaynor also offers a glimpse into how Dorothy might have come to live with her aunt and uncle in the first place.

The result is a nice little story that offers readers a bit of a history lesson about the toll the Dust Bowl and the concurrent Great Depression took on farmers. Strangely, this was the third book in a row that I've read that included this time period. It was one of those happy little accidents because I haven't read nearly enough about the Dust Bowl.

This is a great book for fans of The Wizard of Oz. The focus is on Auntie Em, Dorothy's aunt. Dorothy goes to live with her, in
Kansas, after her parents die.

In the movie (I don't remember much about the book), Emily (Auntie Em) was very secondary. Her character was not developed at all. In Google searches, she is described as “grayed,” which is not complimentary at all. She sounds invisible. She was anything but that.

This story focuses on Emily, long before Dorothy was born. She is the daughter of Irish immigrants and she had two sisters. Emily is a very strong woman, physically and mentally. She is determined to be a successful prairie farmer and wife. But at the same time, she is vulnerable. The reader learns about prairie life, the joys in the early, prosperous years and the devastation of the Dust Bowl and the Depression years in the 1930s.

The description of the Dust Bowl is very vivid. I could feel the grit in my eyes and the dust on my face. As in Kristin Hannah's The Four Winds, we learn how the settlers unknowingly caused The Dust Bowl of the 1930s by over-farming. It is sad to witness…..such long term devastation.

Once Dorothy comes to live with her aunt and uncle there is a period of adjustment for all of them. Along the way, there are lots of hints as to what will come in The Wizard of Oz. It's fun to recognize the hints. I'm sure there are a few I missed.

Emily's character is multi-faceted. She shows strength, love, self-doubt, resilience, determination, vulnerability and more. I really liked her. That is a credit to Ms Gaynor.

The story is full of ups and downs of life in Kansas. The “downs” were are difficult. But the end is full of hope for new adventures to come.

At the end of the book are 2 sections written by the author. One includes historical facts about the time period and certain events. The other is about Ms Gaynor's personal love of The Wizard of Oz. Both were interesting and the perfect way to wrap up this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.

Before Dorothy follows Emily Gale and her husband Henry. Everything in there life is going well but then all the sudden Emily’s sister passes away, leaving them to care for her young daughter Dorothy.

I really enjoyed this book. I am a huge fan of The Wizard of Oz and Wicked so naturally I wanted to read this. I enjoyed learning about Emily’s life before she had to raise Dorothy. I did think this book was a little on the predictable side. However, I do suggest it.

Thank you Hazel Gaynor and Berkley for the ARC of this book. It comes out on June 17!

Before Dorothy
by Hazel Gaynor
2 out of 5 stars
To be published June 17, 2025

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Long before the twister took Dorothy away to Oz, Auntie Em and Uncle Henry started a life in Kansas. This is their story.

"Home is, quite simply, wherever there is love."- My favorite quote from the book
I really liked the author's note and the historical note at the end of the book. I liked reading a book that was set in the dust bowl of the United States during the Great Depression. I can't imagine what it would have been like to live during this time. It was fun to see the Wizard of Oz characters make their appearances so we can picture them being pulled into the story eventually.

Outside of the specifics that I enjoyed, I can't say there was much I liked about the book. What I can say is, thank goodness I finally finished it.

If I wasn't reading it for review purposes, this would more than likely have been a DNF at around 30%. Quite frankly, it was boring after awhile. It started off interesting, but then I wanted it to go somewhere or have an interesting part. There is a reason stories start where they do. The Wizard of Oz didn't need a backstory. I think the questions the author poses in the author's note are better left to imagination.

I am by far an outlier on my opinion and my star rating, so please be sure to take my review with a grain of salt. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a super fan of The Wizard of Oz and wants to imagine what happened Before Dorothy. Note that this is set 30 years past when the original book was published, though, so the timeline doesn't work for me, either.

I love a new perspective on a familiar story. This one fit the bill in every way. I really enjoyed it and thank you for the opportunity to read this early.

What a wonderful surprise this book was. I had in my mind what it would be and I was completely wrong. It is about Dorothy's Aunt Emily (Auntie Em). The book starts out when Emily was a child. It tells of Emily and her two sisters during their childhood. Of course Emily grows up, marries and moves to Kansas. I have always been interested in this time period and the dust storms that happened in Kansas and their profound effect on people's lives. Very good writing and an interesting story. .

My household is a Wizard of Oz haven. My oldest daughter had the movie memorized by the time she was 5. I have read all the Wicked series as well. So this one popped up and I thought--yes! Let's see what Aunty Em has been up to!

So first off, it's a wonderful story in itself. Lot's of information on the great depression, the dust bowl, life on the prairie without many resources. We watch a woman fall in love, struggle with life and then become guardian of her little niece and have to figure out how to care for her. Great words, great world building.

But then--if you are a Wizard of Oz lover--you will enjoy this book soooo much. So many little nods to the the original story. And I mean L Frank Baum--not the movie. Go it to it looking for those tender nuggets and you will find yourself turning the pages faster and faster to find the next one.

Just a sublime read. I can't wait to buy the hard cover for my daughter to read it. Grab this one!

This book was gentle and sweet but I found it a little disappointing overall. I loved Finding Dorothy by Letts so my bad for assuming this title would be in this vein. Thank you NetGalley.

When I was a young girl, The Wizard of Oz held a special place in my heart. This novel didn't disappoint. A story of Auntie Em both before and after Dorothy comes to live with her was appropriately clever, yet true to what we know of the story. I especially enjoyed the references to the events we know will happen in Oz, and the "characters" we will meet there.

<I>Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for a complementary review copy of this novel in return for my unbiased review. </I>

In <I>Before Dorothy,</I> author Hazel Gaynor gives us backstory for Auntie Em, starting Emily's origination story in Ireland followed by her family's immigration to the United States in an effort to capture a pice of the American dream. We get to know Emily and her sister Annie as young Marshall Field's sales girls, and later follow Emily and her new husband Henry Gale to Liberal, Kansas.

While the title references life <I>before</> Emily and Henry begin taking care of young Dorothy, fully half of the novel covers time after Dorothy's birth and her aunt and uncle's guardianship after the death of her parents.

What we get is an utterly charming and oh-so-believable historical novel describing life on the Great Plains before the Depression and during the Dust Bowl. This is the story Kristin Hannah wished she had written in <I>The Four Winds</I>.

Nearly everything about this story is pitch perfect. It works beautifully alongside memories of <I>The Wizard of Oz</I>, whether you are referencing the novel by L. Frank Baum or the technicolor film starring Judy Garland. And it seems to be a spot on reference to the hard life of farmers in difficult times.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Hazel Gaynor adds in plenty of "Easter eggs" that give authentic meaning to the story of Oz. I will definitely look for more of this author's novels!

Hazel Gaynor is a master at her craft and her historical fiction is second to none. I loved everything about this book and think that book clubs would really enjoy this one. A huge thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for this ARC.

Before Dorothy was an amazing read. It was also deeply sad, it looked at a very difficult time in history. The writing portrayed the time in an accurate and heartfelt way. A must read for historical fiction fans!

Hazel Gaynor's Before Dorothy is a beautifully written and deeply moving novel that transported me straight to the heart of the 1920s prairie during the devastating Dust Bowl era. Gaynor masterfully weaves a tale of resilience, love, and the complex journey of building a family against all odds.
At the center of this story is Emily, a character of quiet strength and profound compassion. Her initial reluctance to take on the responsibility of raising her orphaned niece, Dorothy, is portrayed with honest vulnerability. Emily's internal struggle is palpable; she grapples with feelings of inadequacy and the fear of failing a child who has already experienced immense loss. Gaynor avoids simplistic portrayals, instead allowing Emily's character to evolve organically as she learns to navigate the unfamiliar territory of motherhood.
Henry, Emily's husband, is a beacon of unwavering support, a testament to the power of steadfast love. His presence provides a solid foundation for Emily and Dorothy, offering both emotional and practical assistance amidst the harsh realities of their environment. Little Dorothy, having endured the tragedy of losing her mother, is depicted with a delicate balance of vulnerability and resilience. Her arrival forces Emily and Henry to confront their own limitations and expand their capacity for love and sacrifice.
The backdrop of the Dust Bowl is more than just a setting; it's a character in itself. Gaynor vividly portrays the relentless challenges faced by farming families, their desperate fight to save their livelihoods, and the constant threat of nature's fury. The descriptions of the parched landscape and the suffocating dust storms are both haunting and evocative, adding a layer of urgency and emotional depth to the narrative.
Before Dorothy is a story that resonates long after the final page is turned. It's a testament to the enduring power of family, the strength of the human spirit, and the transformative power of love in the face of adversity. I highly recommend this novel to anyone seeking a beautifully written and emotionally resonant read."
M. Roberts
With the help of AI

Wizard of Oz fans will adore this historical imagining of the life of Dorothy's Aunt Emily Gale, who moved from Chicago with her husband Henry to Kansas, hoping for a better life. We learn how Dorothy came to live with them (an accident killed her parents), with the story unfurling against the economic and political backdrop of the time (the Depression, the Dust Bowl.) But more than that, we find a warm and loving family with a fierce will to survive. I loved it!

First I would like to thank NetGalley for the eARc in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

I truly enjoyed this look into the past and one way in which the Wizard of Oz came to happen. The relationship between the sisters, the ever hopeful optimism of Emily, the love for family and the past.
Set in the 20's and 30's, it did take a hard look at what was happening at the time and how it afftected society. Even without knowing the Wizard of Oz, none of the "coincidences" that fell in to place seemed forced. There were a few "aha" moments, where a connection that was totally unexpected was made.
I enjoyed her descriptive language when setting the scenes in Kansas. I was THERE, I could see the farmstead. Our main characters were also very well formed, although I did have a harder time picturing them.

All in all, I enjoyed the book and have already recommended it to several folks who are big Wizard of Oz fans.

3.5- This was a sweet story albeit a little underwhelming. I really appreciated the nods to The Wizard of Oz throughout the story as well as the well written historical events, but I was looking for a bit more oomph. The “Before Dorothy” part of the story was actually quite short, most of the story took place “During Dorothy”, but overall I liked the book.

This was such a fun, neat read!

If you love 1) The Wizard of Oz 2) Historical Fiction 3) Reimagining of classics 4) References and allusions to the original classic work, then definitely, most definitely, put this on your TBR list for June.

Ever wonder how Dorothy ended up in Kansas with Auntie Em and Uncle Henry? You will learn the family's Irish roots, their struggle in America searching for happiness and stability, and the background of their family in Before Dorothy.

For lovers of historical fiction, this book hits the mark - the stock market crash of 1929, the years of the Great Depression, the over farming of the land out West leading to the Dust Bowl, the black blizzards, the drought, the dust storms. Hazel Gaynor paints such a vivid picture of struggle against environment, love of the land, and devotion to family.

I truly loved this story of the inventing of the backgrounds of the characters of Dorothy, Auntie Em, Uncle Henry, and supporting ones from the classic, also. It's such a strong narrative of strength, family, love, and survival. Oh, and don't be surprised when you see little references to a toy lion, a hand made tin man, and the scarecrows out on the vast prairie. If you're a lover of the original Wizard of Oz like I am, you will definitely want to read this one when it goes on sale June 17th. A big thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for letting me preview this ARC. 4.5 stars

If you liked Finding Dorothy by Elizabeth Letts, this story will likely be a favorite as well. While Letts’ story tells us about Frank and Maud Baum, this story tells us about Emily and Henry Gale.

This is more of a fanciful tale of two minor characters in the movie ‘The Wizard of Oz’ with some sprinkles of Dorothy along side. We know them as Uncle Henry and Auntie Em, but in this book they are Dorothy’s caretakers after the tragic death of her parents.

The setting of this book was in Kansas of course, but a majority of the time was dust bowl era, just past the stock market crash. The storytelling is vivid with details of prairie life, tornadoes and dust storms, and living within the meager means of the Great Depression.

So many Easter Eggs hidden throughout the book. I loved reading about the lion, the tinman, her brigid doll of straw, silver slippers, a blue gingham dress, a bitter woman described as a witch who rides a bicycle, and my favorite one was how Toto got his name.

The Wizard of Oz has been a favorite movie since my youth and I jumped at the chance to read a book about a person/movie that I adore.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.