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? 

'Swept me off my feet! A jewel of a novel – it simply sparkles' Evie Woods

‘A treat of a book, utterly transporting' Eve Chase

'A story as glimmering as the Emerald City and as hopeful as Dorothy herself' Kristin Harmel

More Information
ISBN 9780008518752
Author Hazel Gaynor
Publisher HarperCollins Publishers
Imprint Harper
Publication date 20 Nov 2025
Format Paperback
Weight 0.616000
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You're reviewing:Hazel Gaynor : Before Dorothy (Paperback)

Hazel Gaynor : Before Dorothy (Paperback)

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.

AN POST BOOK AWARDS. SHORTLISTED FOR POPULAR FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR 2025

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