Before Dorothy

Author: Gaynor, Hazel

Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945)

Published on 20 November 2025 by HarperCollins Publishers (HarperCollins) in the United Kingdom.

Paperback | 400 pages
198 x 129 x 27 | 274g

Now a USA Today Bestseller!

The greatest journey is the one you least expect…

'Swept me off my feet! A jewel of a novel – it simply sparkles' Evie Woods

‘A treat of a book, utterly transporting' Eve Chase

Long before Dorothy visits Oz, her aunt, Emily Gale, sets off on her own unforgettable adventure much closer to home…

When news reaches Kansas that her beloved sister has tragically died, Emily Gale must become a mother overnight. Her sister’s orphaned child, Dorothy, desperately needs a home.

But Emily doubts her ability to fill her sister’s shoes; her life on the barren Kansas prairies is no place for a child.

On the unforgiving plains, Emily's courage is endlessly tested. The prolonged drought and relentless dust storms threaten to destroy everything – including her home and her marriage.

Can Emily overcome her grief and let Dorothy heal her heart?

From the promise of Chicago in the 1920s to the harsh beauty of the Kansas prairie during the dust bowl of the 1930s, this is a story of family, duty and one woman’s journey of self-discovery.

Readers LOVE Before Dorothy

'A story as glimmering as the Emerald City and as hopeful as Dorothy herself' Kristin Harmel

'[An] enchanting and powerful tale of grief, love and self-discovery' Heat

'Captivating, luminous, spell-binding' Fiona Valpy

'Heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time, this is my favourite Hazel Gaynor novel to date, and I've read them all. Loved it!' Gill Paul

'An epic tale, a triumph of imagination and beautifully written' Amanda Geard