Before Dorothy
Format:Hardback
Publisher:HarperCollins Publishers
Publishing:19th Jun '25
£16.99
This title is due to be published on 19th June, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
The new emotional and gripping historical novel of survival and sacrifice from bestselling author of The Last Lifeboat
The greatest journey is the one you least expect…The greatest journey is the one you least expect…
Long before Dorothy visits Oz, her aunt, Emily Gale, sets off on her own unforgettable adventure much closer to home…
When news reaches Kansas that her beloved sister has tragically died, Emily Gale must become a mother overnight. Her sister’s orphaned child, Dorothy, desperately needs a home.
But Emily doubts her ability to fill her sister’s shoes; her life on the barren Kansas prairies is no place for a child.
On the unforgiving plains, Emily's courage is endlessly tested. The prolonged drought and relentless dust storms threaten to destroy everything – including her home and her marriage.
Can Emily overcome her grief and let Dorothy heal her heart?
From the promise of Chicago in the 1920s to the harsh beauty of the Kansas prairie during the dust bowl of the 1930s, this is a story of family, duty and one woman’s journey of self-discovery.
'Swept me off my feet! A jewel of a novel – it simply sparkles' Evie Woods
'A story as glimmering as the Emerald City and as hopeful as Dorothy herself, Hazel Gaynor's latest is an important and enchanting addition to the canon of Oz' Kristin Harmel
'What a sublime achievement! Before Dorothy is loaded with imagination…this epic novel will grip you from page one' Jennifer Ryan
'An epic tale, a triumph of imagination and beautifully written' Amanda Geard
'Like Dorothy stepping into Oz, Hazel Gaynor’s new novel pulls Auntie Em out of a black and white background and into a full-color world all her own' Sarah Miller
'A brilliant idea, superbly executed…Auntie Em and Dorothy are brought fully to life in this memorable tale of hardship and love in America’s dust bowl' Maggie Brookes
'Heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time, this is my favourite Hazel Gaynor novel to date, and I've read them all. Loved it!' Gill Paul
'Exquisitely written […] the themes of home, family and belonging are acutely and tenderly observed […] an absolute triumph and in contention for my book of 2025!' Louise Fein
'It is impossible not to become lost in this tender, heartbreaking reimagining of the story of Auntie Em…a beautiful book' Julia Kelly
'I was so intrigued by the brilliant premise of Before Dorothy, and the story I found waiting blew me away…A truly wondrous tale' Jenny Ashcroft
'Captivating, luminous, spell-binding. A clever distillation of the magic of The Wizard of Oz into the backstory of Auntie Em in Dust Bowl America, breathing new life into much-loved characters. Wonderful!' Fiona Valpy
'Clever, original, and immersive, this was my most anticipated read of 2025, and it certainly did not disappoint…filled with drama, heartbreak, and hope' Carmel Harrington
'Just wonderful – warm and immersive like all Hazel's books and with that easy-to-read quality that draws you right in' Tracy Rees
ISBN: 9780008518714
Dimensions: 240mm x 159mm x 28mm
Weight: 270g
400 pages