The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale

The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale is Virginia Kantra’s show-stopping reimagining of the characters from L. Frank Baum’s classic novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. But where Baum’s fantastical characters are firmly ensconced in the realm of children’s literature, Kantra’s reconceptualization encompasses much more adult themes of romance, betrayal, and second chances.

Dorothy Gale finds herself on the streets of Dublin, alone and friendless, after a terrible betrayal at the hands of a faculty member and former lover from her alma mater, the University of Kansas. As she tries to put the pieces of her life back together by finishing her master’s thesis and starting over on the other side of the world, she picks up three familiar companions along the way.

Tim Woodman, a seemingly heartless ex-military man with a soft spot for baked goods, Sam Clery, a former Trinity College student plugging away mindlessly day after day in his family’s shop, and Reeti Kaur, a woman filled with passion but afraid to express her wishes to her more traditional parents.

With an amazing depth of character development and an immensely satisfying ending, Kantra’s novel is sure to please at your next book club meeting.