Before Dorothy
- Author Hazel Gaynor, Hazel Gaynor, Reader to be announced
- Narrator Saskia Maarleveld, to be announced
- Publisher HarperCollins Publishers
- Publish Date 19 June 2025
- Run Time 10 hours and 40 minutes
- Format Audio
- Genre Family life fiction, Historical fiction, Modern and contemporary fiction, Narrative theme: Displacement, exile, migration, Narrative theme: Identity / belonging, Narrative theme: Social issues.
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Listen to a sample
What to 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.
Critics Review
'Swept me off my feet! A jewel of a novel u2013 it simply sparkles' Evie Woods
u2018A treat of a book, utterly transporting' Eve Chase
'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 imaginationu2026this 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 Gaynoru2019s 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 executedu2026Auntie Em and Dorothy are brought fully to life in this memorable tale of hardship and love in Americau2019s 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 [u2026] the themes of home, family and belonging are acutely and tenderly observed [u2026] 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 Emu2026a beautiful book' Julia Kelly
'I was so intrigued by the brilliant premise of Before Dorothy, and the story I found waiting blew me awayu2026A 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 disappointu2026filled with drama, heartbreak, and hope' Carmel Harrington
'Just wonderful u2013 warm and immersive like all Hazel's books and with that easy-to-read quality that draws you right in' Tracy Rees
'Lush, immersive, spellbinding' Kate Thompson
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