This novel follows Maud Gage Baum, the widow of L. Frank Baum, as she navigates the 1939 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film set of The Wizard of Oz. Seventy-seven-year-old Maud maneuvers through studio politics to protect her late husband’s vision, specifically advocating for young Judy Garland against the pressures of the Hollywood studio system. Interwoven chapters recount Maud’s earlier life as the daughter of suffragist Matilda Joslyn Gage and her years traveling the American West with Frank, showing how their real-world hardships and encounters shaped the characters and landscapes of the original children's story.
Readers of historical fiction and film history will appreciate the detailed recreation of the Golden Age of Hollywood and the harsh realities of the pioneer era. Those interested in the origins of American mythology can see how actual events and people informed the creation of a literary classic. The book provides a look at the labor behind the fantasy, leaving the reader with a clearer understanding of the domestic struggles and feminist roots that preceded the fame of the Yellow Brick Road.
- Published
- 2019
- Language
- EN
