Virginia Kantra (Meg and Jo; Beth and Amy), author of more than 20 novels, has reimagined themes and characters from Little Women, the classic by Louisa May Alcott. In The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale, Kantra once again puts a fresh, contemporary spin on a beloved story--this time The Wizard of Oz--via the creation of another Dorothy from Kansas who sets out on a modern yellow-brick-road quest of her own.
The "storm" that sets Dorothy "Dee" Gale's life in motion involves the heart. Her life falls apart when, as a 26-year-old grad student, she falls for a charismatic adjunct writing professor, who later publishes a novel detailing the couple's fraught relationship. Brokenhearted and eager for a fresh start, Dorothy sets off to Trinity College in Ireland to finish her master's degree--and a book of her own. Along the way, she meets others facing challenges reminiscent of characters from The Wizard of Oz: Reeti Kaur, a Sikh from Punjab, India, who lacks courage to stand up to her family expectations; Sam Clery, a responsible son and newsagent, who thinks he's too old (and it's too late) to go to college; and Tim Woodman, a jaded, risk-averse businessman with a broken heart. Each person faces obstacles on the road to personal fulfillment. Might love also be on the horizon?
Smart, inventive Kantra delivers another craftily plotted adventure where an updated cast of immensely likable characters ultimately inspires and empowers one another's lives. --Kathleen Gerard, blogger at Reading Between the Lines