The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale — Books, Beauty, & Buys

By: Virginia Kantra
Published Year: 2023
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 384

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion of this novel.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): A woman learns to follow her own road in this heartwarming novel inspired by The Wizard of Oz by New York Times bestselling author Virginia Kantra.

Dorothy “Dee” Gale is searching for a place to belong. After their globe-trotting mother’s death, Dee and her sister Toni settled with Uncle Henry and Aunt Em in Kansas, where Dee attends graduate school. But when Dee’s relationship with a faculty member, a bestselling novelist, ends in heartbreak and humiliation, she’s caught in a tornado of negative publicity. Unable to face her colleagues—or her former lover—Dee applies to the writing program at Trinity College Dublin.

Dee’s journey to Ireland leads her to new companions: seemingly brainless Sam Clery—who dropped out of college and now runs a newsagent’s shop—is charming and hot, in a dissolute, Irish poet kind of way; allegedly heartless Tim Woodman—who stiffly refused to take back his ex-fiancée—seems stuck in his past; and fiercely loyal Reeti Kaur, who longs for the courage to tell her parents she wants to teach underprivileged girls rather than work in the family business.

In a year of opportunities and changes, love and loss, Dee is mentored by powerful women in the writing program, challenging her to see herself and her work with new eyes. With her friends, Dee finds the confidence to confront her biggest fears—including her intimidating graduate advisor, who may not be so wicked after all.

Faced with a choice with far-reaching consequences, Dee must apply the lessons she’s learned along the way about making a family, finding a home...and recognizing the power that’s been inside her all along.

First Impressions

I am a huge Wizard of Oz fan. I was really excited when I saw the cover of this book and then read the concept and was even more excited. This book would absolutely catch my eye on the shelf. I love the obvious tribute to Wizard of Oz.

What I thought

Dorothy Gale is moving to Dublin to finish her thesis after her relationship with her professor goes down in flames when he used her as his muse for his next hit novel. She moves from Kansas to Dublin completely broken down, only to arrive and find out that what she expected has changed. While there, she meets her Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion, and Good and Bad Witches.

I read a review on Goodreads that said that this book was unique enough and good enough that it could’ve functioned without using the Wizard of Oz as a catch and I do agree. I thought the Wizard of Oz nods made for some interesting and fun parts of the story, I do feel it would’ve been just as interesting without it.

The story itself doesn’t follow the Wizard of Oz at all. It just uses some characters as inspiration for the friends and faculty. Sam is a café owner who dropped out of college when his dad died and has always felt he isn’t smart enough- Scarecrow. Tim is ex military and has shut down all feelings- Tin Man. Then we have her two faculty members, Maeve and Glenda- Wicked and Good Witches.

I did love the relationships that Dorothy had. I loved her with everyone and felt like it was so fun to read. I did feel like it was two books in one. There was the first half where Dorothy was alone in Dublin, and then the second half where her sister shows up. I was really busy so I read this book pretty slowly and by the time I finished the book, I kind of forgot a lot of what happened in the first half. There are definitely some storylines that get dropped a little bit which would be my only criticism. Well, that and I didn’t love her concept for her novel. It got a little bit too weirdly close to Oz for me. Almost as if the original author didn’t exist.