Spotlight and Giveaway: Before Dorothy

Today we are excited to feature Hazel Gaynor's latest novel, Before Dorothy. This novel is based on The Wizard of Oz, but told through Auntie Em's perspective. (Similar to what Jillian Cantor did for The Great Gatsby in Beautiful Little Fools.) Melissa is so excited to read it and has it in her Kindle queue. Thanks to Berkley, we have one copy to give away!

Chicago, 1924: Emily and her new husband, Henry, yearn to leave the bustle of Chicago for the promise of their own American dream among the harsh beauty of the prairie. But leaving the city means leaving Emily’s beloved sister, Annie, who was once closer to her than anyone in the world.

Kansas, 1932: Emily and Henry have established their new home among the warmth of the farming community in Kansas. Aligned to the fickle fortunes of nature, their lives hold a precarious and hopeful purpose, until tragedy strikes and their orphaned niece, Dorothy, lands on their doorstep.

The wide-eyed child isn’t the only thing to disrupt Emily’s world. Drought and devastating dust storms threaten to destroy everything, and her much-loved home becomes a place of uncertainty and danger. When the past catches up with the present and old secrets are exposed, Emily fears she will lose the most cherished thing of all: Dorothy.

Bursting with courage and heart, Before Dorothy tells the story of the woman who raised a beloved heroine, and ponders the question: what is the true meaning of home? (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

"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

“In Technicolor prose, Hazel Gaynor gives new meaning to the familiar phrase 'there’s no place like home' in this stunning novel that imagines the real lives of Auntie Em, Uncle Henry, Dorothy, and Toto in the dust bowl of the Depression. Ingeniously done.”
—Kerri Maher, USA Today bestselling author of All You Have To Do Is Call

Credit: Fran Veale

Hazel Gaynor is an award-winning, New York Times, USA Today, Irish Times, and internationally bestselling author known for her deeply moving historical novels which explore the defining events of the 20th century. Her most recent novel, The Last Lifeboat, was a Times historical novel of the month, an Audie award winner, and was short-listed for the Irish Book Awards. Her work is published in twenty-seven territories to date. She lives in Ireland with her family. 

Visit Hazel online:

Website * Facebook * Instagram

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here. 

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Giveaway ends June 24th at midnight EST. 

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