Before Dorothy

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?

‘An imaginative tour-de-force! […] Gaynor takes an ingenious idea and transforms it into a book that will enchant readers everywhere’ Natasha Lester

‘Em and the Kansas prairies come alive in this utterly immersive, genuinely moving and beautifully written novel’ Catherine Ryan Howard

'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

'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

'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

'Clever, original, and immersive' 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

'Lush, immersive, spellbinding' Kate Thompson

'Hazel Gaynor does a Wicked on Auntie Em,' RTE Guide

'A heartfelt work of fiction that brings to life the gritty reality of Depression-era hardships upon one family. It weaves a tale of complex family struggles, personal endurance through devastating trials, and opening of the heart to discover unexpected joys in everyday life.' Historical Novel Society