Finding Dorothy: A Novel

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Outside its walls, the brown hills, tidy neighborhoods, and rusting oil derricks of Culver City gave no hint of magic; but within the gates of M-­G-­M—­Metro, as it was known—­you stepped inside an enchanted kingdom. Discussions of a sequel began in June 2016, as Stanton announced his intent to have approaches to worldbuilding across sequels similar to the Toy Story franchise, given the introduction of new characters. Written as fiction but based closely on the truth, Elizabeth Letts’s new book tells a story of love, loss, inspiration, and perseverance, set in America’s heartland. Now, with the young actress under pressure from the studio as well as her ambitious stage mother, Maud resolves to protect her—the way she tried so hard to protect the real Dorothy. This book had my mind wandering all over the place, so this review is bound to skip from one random thought to another.

Judy reminds Maud of a young girl she cared for and tried to help in South Dakota, a dreamer who never got her happy ending. Joe Morgenstern of The Wall Street Journal said that " Finding Dory can be touching, sweet and tender, but it's compulsively, preposterously and steadfastly funny. I can't thank her enough for writing such a book that could not only help me understand this story, but create an even deeper love for it than I already recognized I have. In 1914, when Frank had opened his company, Hollywood had been a sleepy backwater of orange trees and bungalows, and filmmaking a crazy venture seen as a passing fad.The two women might have remained in their silent test of wills had not a large commotion ensued from the elevator bay—­a loud thwack and a cry of “Bugger all! True, Maud would far rather be reading a book at Ozcot, her Hollywood home, but she had made a promise to her late husband that she aimed to keep. million—the biggest Pixar opening in the country's history—debuting in second place behind Warcraft.

I care deeply about issues that affect women and children, and especially those who are fleeing danger. Yet the old time fairy tale, having served for generations, may now be classed as “historical” in the children’s library; for the time has come for a series of newer “wonder tales” in which the stereotyped genie, dwarf and fairy are eliminated, together with all the horrible and blood-curdling incidents devised by their authors to point a fearsome moral to each tale. Journeying with Maud through the ups and downs of her life, the challenges she faces and the strength of her love for her family just warmed my heart.

Maud did not live a charmed life by any means, but I was fascinated by her life experiences and loved Lett’s version of events which gives the reader a few insights on where Frank found his inspiration for his book characters and stories. Prior to reading this book I hadn’t really known anything about the author who wrote The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz, so I really enjoyed this fascinating account of his life, in which we see the power of imagination and storytelling, and where the inspiration for something wonderful was found. This weighed on my mind while I read portions of this book, describing the abuse Judy was subjected to during the filming of the movie.

From capturing the pioneering spirit of a family settling out West to the fight for women’s suffrage, and the vulnerability of a young Judy Garland on the threshold of stardom, Finding Dorothy is filled with pitch-perfect wonderment. Maud [Gage Baum] is a fascinating character, and this is a poignant, absorbing tale of the life and love story that led to the creation of a beloved classic. Rogue One' Leads Visual Effects Society Feature Competition With 7 Nominations As 'Doctor Strange,' 'Jungle Book' Grab 6 Each".It’s an alliance that seems touched with magic and serendipity and something even more transformative, true understanding between women.