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.
'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, New York Times bestselling author of The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau
'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, bestselling author of Caroline
Acclaim for Hazel Gaynor:
‘Deeply moving. Be prepared ― have handkerchiefs on standby at the end’ Antonia Senior, The Times
'A great read … beautifully written, with the alternative perspectives of child and adult giving a great depth of characterisation…That it is based on real events only serves to make the tale more powerful. Highly recommended' Liz Trenow, bestselling author of Under a Wartime Sky
‘A moving and authentic account of a neglected part of WW2 history. I empathised with the plight of the characters … and felt as if I were there’ Dinah Jefferies
‘I’ve been completely swept away … Set in wartime China, it transported me utterly – vivid, heart-rending and so, so beautiful. I loved it ’ Jenny Ashcroft
ISBN: 9780008518714
Dimensions: 240mm x 159mm x 28mm
Weight: 270g
400 pages