Book description
Dorothy, orphaned in the 1870s, goes to live with her Aunty Em and Uncle Henry. Baby Frances sings with her family on stage in the 1920s. From the settling of the West and the heyday of the studios, to the metropolis of modern Los Angeles, this book follows the developmentā¦
Why read it?
3 authors picked Was as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
Oh, Was, how I love your relentlessly bleak, depressing sadness.
This is a strangely inventive novel that twines reality and fantasy into a brutal, desolate, yet gorgeous story of pain and survival. Told from the points of view of numerous characters, each story is tethered in some way to The Wizard of Oz, that venerable fable about good versus evil in the search for home.
Ryman introduces us to a main trio of characters whose lives are all equally harrowingāDorothy Gael (the imagined inspiration for The Wizard of Oz heroine and the victim of familial sexual abuse), Francesā¦
From Jeffrey's list on LGBT+ novels that haunt me (in a good way).
Ryman describes himself as a fantasy writer who fell in love with realism, and thereās something of that in each of the novels Iāve chosen here. In Was he draws together three story strands and weaves from them something unique and moving around the cultural tentpole of The Wizard of Oz. The main strand concerns little Dorothy Gael whose harsh life inspires Baumās fictional revision of her unhappy childhood: then thereās ābaby Francesā who, as Judy Garland, embodies Dorothy in screen fantasy: and Frank, a dying man for whom Garlandās movie has been a lifelong obsession and sourceā¦
From Stephen's list on reality charged with energy of the dark fantastic.
Was jumps back and forth over a century, from the 1870s to the 1990s, telling the stories of a half dozen charactersāincluding the "real" Dorothy Gael and the young Judy Garlandāall connected by their relation to L. Frank Baumās Oz novels.
This is a moving story about how people cope with troubles they cannot overcome, finding healing in the midst of tragedy. I really like the many subtle ways Oz weaves in and out of the charactersā lives, through fantasy and reality: indulging in fantasy may lead people to behave destructively, but it also offers escape when we are feelingā¦
From John's list on retelling of classic stories with a fantasy twist.
If you love Was...
These Blue Mountains
A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.
German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancĆ©, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Heddaā¦
Want books like Was?
Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Was.
Share your top 3 reads of 2025!
And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.
1,366
readers submitted
so far, will you?
š If you like Was, you might also like...
Deadly Revenge
Deputy Jenna Hart has only been working in her sleepy hometown of Pearl Springs for seven months when city officials begin to be targeted by a killer. Twenty years ago, the construction of a dam caused people to lose their land to eminent domain. That wound has not healed withā¦
The Duty of Memory
Separating the true stories from the myths, The Duty of Memory provides a deeper understanding of the diverse motivations that drove ordinary people to join an underground network of French Resistants despite terrible odds and horrifying consequences.
This book takes the reader inside the true story of men and womenā¦
