This enchanting, richly imagined novel is based on the true story of the woman who inspired L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz—his fearless wife, Maud Baum. Written as historical fiction but based closely on the truth, Elizabeth Letts’s new book tells a story of love, loss, inspiration, and perseverance.

If Maud’s suffragist mother, Matilda, had taught her anything, it was that if you wanted something, you needed to ask for it—or demand it, if necessary. True, Maud would far rather be reading a book at Ozcot, her Hollywood home, but she had made a promise to her late husband that she aimed to keep. their stories on their own lives? How would you feel if a close friend or family member wrote a book? Would you worry (or be pleased) After Jenny left the competition, the remaining contestants performed a medley of songs from The Wizard of Oz for viewer votes: He noted the faded clothbound volume Maud held in her other hand. “Doing a little homework, I see.” Almost everyone remembers watching the iconic 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz. Share your special memories: Did you see it in a theaterThe two audition episodes attracted 4.28million (18.4% audience share) [15] and 5.22million viewers (23.9% share) [16] according to unofficial overnight figures. The first live show attracted 5.417million viewers (25.4% share). [17] always believed in a better future; Maud was pragmatic and sensible, a master at keeping the family Former eight contestants: " Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down"with Olly Murs And Boy George ( Alicia Keys) Were you surprised that Maud left college after her mother fought so hard to get her admitted? How do you think Matilda viewed Maud's It was a city within a city, a textile mill to weave the gossamer of fantasy on looping looms of celluloid. From the flashing needles of the tailors in the costume shop to the zoo where the animals were trained, from the matzo ball soup in the commissary to the blinding-­white offices in the brand-­new Thalberg executive building, an army of people—composers and musicians, technicians and tinsmiths, directors and actors—spun thread into gold. Once upon a time, dreams were made by hand, but now they were mass-­produced. These forty-­four acres were their assembly line.

In one of the novel’s opening scenes, Maud, desperate to protect her late husband’s legacy, talks her way onto the M-G-M set of “The Wizard of Oz.” Having just heard the young Judy Garland sing an early version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” Maud is concerned. The song is “lovely,” but “there’s not enough wanting in it.” She has a point. Old Hollywood is its own kind of Oz in Finding Dorothy, complete with false dazzle and complex combinations of threat and allure. But what really satisfies here is the unlikely friendship between L. Frank Baum’s unsinkable widow, Maud, and the young Judy Garland, on the vulnerable cusp of fame. It’s an alliance that seems touched with magic and serendipity and something even more transformative, true understanding between women.” —Paula McLain, author of Love and Ruin Every now and again, Mrs. Koverman would stand up and rap upon the door with the brass plaque on it reading louis b. mayer, then enter with a piece of typed paper or a phone message. Each time she emerged, Maud looked at her steadily while Mrs. Koverman avoided her gaze. Once in a while, Maud glanced at her wristwatch. Soon one-­thirty had come and gone. As with all great historical fiction, the allure of “Finding Dorothy” is the curiosity it inspires. Readers will find themselves wanting to know more, wondering what is fact and what is Letts’s imagination. In this case, Letts has brought an unknown woman to life in an engaging and thorough novel.The third week of competition was dance week and the live show on Saturday 17 April 2010 saw the remaining nine finalists perform to stay in the competition. The contestants worked with John Partridge during the week, learning how to walk and perform in heels before performing with him in front of Lloyd Webber and choreographer Arlene Phillips. The search continued for a dog to play Toto narrowing it down to the Top 10. A breathtaking read that will transport you over the rainbow and into the heart of one of America’s most enduring fairy tales and the hardscrabble life that inspired it. Gripping, fascinating, Finding Dorothy is a novel for anyone who ever stared in awe as Oz came to life onscreen, and wondered what other secrets lay hidden behind the curtain. A dream of a book you’ll want to savor and share!” —Lisa Wingate, author of Before We Were Yours The studio guest was Jodie Prenger, who played Nancy in Oliver! after winning I'd Do Anything in 2008, and she performed " As Long as He Needs Me" from Oliver!. Maud’s storyline is every bit as compelling as its Hollywood counterpart, and Letts does a brilliant job of bringing her characters to life, connecting the dots between fact and fiction, and illuminating the power of women to protect and celebrate one another." Finding Dorothy” introduces Maud Baum, the daughter of the 19th-century women’s suffragist Matilda Joslyn Gage and the wife of L. Frank Baum, the author of “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.”

Love Story" (pop song) & "Tell Me It's Not True" from Blood Brothers, with coaching from Melanie Chisholm (Musical Song) Letts ( The Perfect Horse, 2016, etc.) builds her historical novel around Maud Gage Baum, the high-spirited wife of L. Frank Baum, who wrote the original Wizard of Oz books. In one of two intercut narratives, the 77-year-old Maud, who'd exerted a strong influence on her late husband, appears on the set of the movie in 1938; there, she encounters 16-year-old Judy Garland—cast as Dorothy—among others. The second narrative opens in Fayetteville, New York, in 1871 and traces Maud's life from age 10: her girlhood as the daughter of an ardent suffragette; her brief time at Cornell University—she was one of the first women admitted there; her early marriage to Baum, an actor at the time; and the births of their four sons. Frank, a dreamer, was not so talented at making money, and the family endured a hardscrabble, peripatetic life until he scored as a writer. This part of the story is dramatic and sometimes-poignant, though it goes on a bit. (Read carefully, and you can spot some elements that made their ways into the books and movie.) The Hollywood part is more entertaining even if some of it feels implausible. Maud did meet Judy Garland and attend the premiere of the film in real life. But in the book she tries to protect and nurture Garland, who was at the mercy of her abusive stage mother and the filmmakers and was apparently fed amphetamines to keep her weight down. And while it's true the movie's best-loved song, "Somewhere over the Rainbow," was almost cut at the last minute, the book has Maud persuading studio chief L.B. Mayer to keep it in. Andrew Lloyd Webber – musical theatre composer and producer, co-producer of the new stage production At Christmas, visiting Josie, Maud meets her cousin, Lyman Frank Baum, who owns a touring theatre company in which he participates in all aspects of the productions. He and Maud like each other immediately, but when he asks if he may call on her at her home, Matilda says no, not until the academic year is over. She doesn’t want Maud distracted by a man in a “flighty and unstable profession… For you, first, a diploma; second, a learned man,” she tells her. In the end, Maud leaves university after only one year, marries Frank, and goes on tour with him, enjoying freedom and adventure, for a while.

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Maud had long since noted that there were two kinds of people in the world: fans of Oz—those who remembered their childhoods—and those who pretended that they had never even heard of Oz, who believed that adults should put away childish things. From the look on her face, Mrs. Koverman fell into the latter category. I am here to see Mr. Louis B. Mayer.” Maud made sure that her voice conveyed no hint of hesitation. She who hesitates is lost. That was another of Matilda’s expressions. Seventy-­seven years old and Maud sometimes still felt as if her mother were perched just behind the wings, whispering stage instructions. Readers looking for an inspiring true story will be delighted. . . . [Letts] again crafts a tale of fortitude and triumph over adversity. . . .Fans of the Oz novels or film will be enchanted.This isa great fit for readers of Christina Baker Kline and Lisa Wingate, and will surely be a popular choice for book clubs. . . .[A] well-researched novelization.” — Library Journal

The girl raised a stylishly penciled eyebrow and gave Maud the once-­over, from her gray curls down to her sturdy brown pumps. A richly imagined novel that tells the story behind The Wonderful Wizard of Oz , the book that inspired the iconic film, through the eyes of author L. Frank Baum's intrepid wife, Maud--from the family's hardscrabble days in South Dakota to the Hollywood film set where she first meets Judy Garland. right thing to leave her with her mother? Did Julia do right to keep her daughter on the homestead?Before Maud had a chance to finish, the elevator doors slid open again and a brown-­haired man seemed to blow out as if pushed by a strong wind. You’ll have to speak to Mrs. Koverman...” She dropped her voice. “Mount Ida. No one gets to Mr. Mayer without going through her first.” Maud's life behind-the-scenes and the making of the film are uncovered in a thrilling, magical way'