Book Summary and Reviews of Before Dorothy by Hazel Gaynor

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Emily_Bahhar

Loved this story of Auntie ‘Em!
I grew up completely obsessed with The Wizard of Oz but truly never wondered what Auntie Em was like before we knew her, so I love that author Hazel Gaynor thought of it for us!

Before Dorothy explores Emily Kelley before and after she becomes Emily Gale, including how Dorothy comes to live with her and Uncle Henry. With dual timelines of 1924 Chicago and Kansas a decade later, we learn so much about Emily as a young woman, a new wife, and an aunt who becomes caregiver.

I just adored Emily and was fascinated at the thought of her as a youthful, modern, city woman who more than willingly gives it up to become a prairie wife, while staying true to herself. Her assimilation into her new community wasn’t necessarily and easy one, and thought the Kansas characters were great additions. I especially warmed to the character of Adelaide, a female pilot who smashes societal expectations and gives energy to the women in Kansas.

Spread throughout the book are not-so-subtle references to The Wizard of Oz (Dorothy’s lion stuffed animal), as well as those done on the sly (is Adelaide Glinda the Good Witch?) I thought all those pieces were done well.

The theme of roles women play in each other’s lives was present throughout the book. We saw that prominently in Emily’s Kansas community but I wish we had more of Emily and her two sisters, one of whom has already left for a new life when the book begins. I was so intrigued by their relationships and definitely wanted more.

The author did a nice job of weaving in the very difficult life of homesteading, and the very real consequences of the Dust Bowl, a time in U.S. history when severe dust storms all but destroyed middle America. I honestly don’t know great details about this time, but the author’s narrative transported me right there. Through her writing, Gaynor honors the land shows respect for the people who tend to it.

Completely unexpected was the author’s decision to make Emily, her sisters and parents Irish immigrants. It made sense, though, as another theme was the idea around what makes a place home, finding home (there’s no place like home!).

All in all, I really enjoyed Before Dorothy. Definitely recommend!

Elizabeth

Elizabeth@Silver's Reviews - Another GEM by Hazel Gaynor
We learn of Auntie Em's life with her sister Annie in Chicago and her life in Kansas before and after seven-year-old Dorothy came to live with Em and Henry after Annie passed away.

Em and her sister lived in Chicago until Uncle Henry swept her off her feet and took her to Kansas.

Annie stayed in Chicago and married a man Em wasn't fond of - she wasn't even sure her sister loved him. Her sister had a secret that Em wanted to reveal, and it was something that came between them.

Em loved Kansas and her life on the farm, and when she was called back to Chicago to take her niece Dorothy to live with her, Em wondered how Dorothy would adapt to the rural life.

We go back and forth through both time periods that are filled with love and tenderness, and hope.

We learn of the hardships and the heartaches Auntie Em endured along with taking us through the depression, the stock market crash, and living in the dust bowl? of the 1930s.

If you loved The Wizard of Oz and didn't know Auntie Em's story, BEFORE DOROTHY is a book you won't want to miss.

There are subtle mentions of the characters and scenes in The Wizard of Oz that will make you smile.

You will love how Toto got his name in this book - I'm guessing that is the real story about his name.

Auntie Em is a wonderful person who had a difficult and at times sad life.

I didn't really like her sister Annie - she was cold and only thought of herself.

BEFORE DOROTHY is another gem by Hazel Gaynor that you won't want to miss.

Hazel Gaynor's marvelous, descriptive writing pulls you right in and warms your heart. 5/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Emily (Emmie Mere)

Loved this take an Auntie Em!
I grew up completely obsessed with The Wizard of Oz but truly never wondered what Auntie Em was like before we knew her, so I love that author Hazel Gaynor thought of it for us!

Before Dorothy explores Emily Kelley before and after she becomes Emily Gale, including how Dorothy comes to live with her and Uncle Henry. With dual timelines of 1924 Chicago and Kansas a decade later, we learn so much about Emily as a young woman, a new wife, and an aunt who becomes caregiver.

I just adored Emily and was fascinated at the thought of her as a youthful, modern, city woman who more than willingly gives it up to become a prairie wife, while staying true to herself. Her assimilation into her new community wasn’t necessarily and easy one, and thought the Kansas characters were great additions. I especially warmed to the character of Adelaide, a female pilot who smashes societal expectations and gives energy to the women in Kansas.

Spread throughout the book are not-so-subtle references to The Wizard of Oz (Dorothy’s lion stuffed animal), as well as those done on the sly (is Adelaide Glinda the Good Witch?) I thought all those pieces were done well.

The theme of roles women play in each other’s lives was present throughout the book. We saw that prominently in Emily’s Kansas community but I wish we had more of Emily and her two sisters, one of whom has already left for a new life when the book begins. I was so intrigued by their relationships and definitely wanted more.

The author did a nice job of weaving in the very difficult life of homesteading, and the very real consequences of the Dust Bowl, a time in U.S. history when severe dust storms all but destroyed middle America. I honestly don’t know great details about this time, but the author’s narrative transported me right there. Through her writing, Gaynor honors the land shows respect for the people who tend to it.

Completely unexpected was the author’s decision to make Emily, her sisters and parents Irish immigrants. It made sense, though, as another theme was the idea around what makes a place home, finding home (there’s no place like home!).

All in all, I really enjoyed Before Dorothy. Definitely recommend!

I received an advance review copy from BookBrowse for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.

nfmgirl

Emily's Story
Hazel Gaynor's Before Dorothy is a pleasant, well-intentioned read for anyone who has ever wondered about life before L. Frank Baum's beloved classic. The premise is genuinely appealing: this novel takes us back to the sun-scorched Kansas prairie to tell the story of Emily-- the woman who would become Auntie Em-- and the circumstances that shaped her long before a young girl named Dorothy ever tumbled into Oz.

The novel's greatest strength is Emily herself. Tracing her journey from a lighthearted shop girl with big dreams living in the city to the hardened but loving and dignified aunt we glimpse in Baum's pages is the book's central reward. Unfortunately, Emily's sister Annie, who figures meaningfully in the earlier narrative, comes across as cold and emotionally remote in ways that feel underdeveloped rather than intriguingly complex. She functions more as an obstacle than a fully realized character, and the relationship between the sisters quickly fizzles out. Dorothy's husband Henry is a bright spot — warm, grounded, and genuinely likable in a way that makes the Gale household feel real and lived-in. He is the kind of steady, decent character who anchors a story without demanding too much attention.

That said, Before Dorothy left me wanting more. Somewhat ironically for a novel with Dorothy's name in the title, Dorothy herself remains a bit of a hazy figure. She passes through scenes rather than inhabiting them, often feeling as more of a gossamer apparition than someone of real substance. The Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz is spirited and forthright and makes her presence felt. I also found myself baffled over the way that Dorothy communicated like someone much older than her mere eight years and kept trying to calculate to determine whether a wide span of time had passed without me realizing it and aged Dorothy into maturity. To be fair, this is Emily's story, and perhaps the author's intent was always to keep Dorothy at the periphery-- but readers hoping for deeper insight into the girl from Kansas may come away a little disappointed. This is Emily's story.

The setting and drawing of life on the Kansas prairie left me wanting more. Prairie life during the Dust Bowl era is rich territory full of hardship, community, and grit that could have lent the story tremendous texture. Instead, the details of life in the Dust Bowl feel somewhat sketched in — present enough to establish atmosphere, but not immersive enough to truly transport the reader. The dust, the drought, the grinding daily reality of survival on those wide-open plains — all of it could have been rendered with far more weight.

None of this makes Before Dorothy a bad book. It is engaging, moves at a comfortable pace, and offers genuine warmth in its best moments. But one finishes it with the nagging sense that the novel could have gone deeper-- into its landscape, its characters, and the harder edges of the world it depicts. As it stands, it is an enjoyable if somewhat surface-level glance into the life of our beloved Auntie Em. For fans of the original, there can be real pleasure in exploring this backstory, and Gaynor deserves credit for finding a fresh angle on an American treasure, but this could have been so much more.

Barbara B

Kansas during the Dust Bowl
Overall, I’d say the action was slow paced. Only Aunty Em was a character that I felt empathy for. The portion of the story in Kansas was the strongest, and I really enjoyed the slow crescendo toward the Dust Bowl. This book was given to me by BookBrowse and I appreciate that very much, but the print was very small. I waited for months until my library bought a large print copy.

Susan_Roberts

Auntie Em
I have watched The Wizard of Oz on TV more times than I can count and really enjoyed Hazel Gaynor's story about Dorothy's Auntie Em's earlier life and how she ended up Kansas. There are lots of references to the Wizard of Oz from a mention of the ruby red shoes, Toto and lots more. It was fun to see all of these references back to the original story and I think that Frank Baum would have approved of this story.

This story begins long before Dorothy was born. Emily and her two sisters had emigrated from Ireland with their parents and after several stops, they ended up in dirty and gritty Chicago. The oldest sister moved to California and Annie married someone that Emily didn't really like or trust. When Emily married Henry and they decided to farm in Kansas, Annie was very unhappy and kind of nasty to her sister about the move. Annie was pretty spoiled and willful and didn't want Emily to leave and not be available to help her. But Emily was not only in love with Henry but she soon was in love with the beauty that was Kansas and wanted to do everything that she could to help the farm. After a miscarriage, she realized that she'd never get pregnant and resigned herself to never becoming a mother. When Annie and her husband died, their will requested that Emily and Henry take responsibility and raise their daughter Dorothy. Life in Kansas was tough when Emily brought Dorothy to Kansas - the Depression was affecting farm prices and the huge dust storms had started along with frequent tornadoes. Emily wasn't sure how Dorothy would adapt to Kansas or adapt to her because she wasn't really sure how to be a mother. Yet despite everything, they did become a family.

Be sure to read the Author's notes at the end of the book where she gave some political background of the story and talked about her love of the Wizard of Oz movie. It was apparent when reading this book that the author had done considerable research into the time period and into the movie. It was a fun book to read and it was interesting to find all of the references to the original story.

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