The Real Wizard of Oz: The Life and Times of L. Frank Baum

Heldman is a fine choice to narrate this well-researched biography on the life L. Frank Baum, author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its sequels. Baum was born in 1865, and was 43 when he penned the book for which he would forever be remembered. But once he conceived of the land of Oz, he, unlike Dorothy, would never be able to escape it. Loncraine follows Baum through the middle years of his life, focusing on the specific events and experiences that influenced the magical world and creatures of Oz. The book is divided into five sections, corresponding to the five U.S. regions in which Baum lived, and reader Heldman skillfully keeps the story moving at a steady pace throughout. Her lively, breathy delivery animates Loncraine’s straightforward prose. Loncraine admits that much of what’s known of Baum’s life may be pure invention by the writer himself, but true or not, it keeps the listener enchanted to the last chapter. A Gotham paperback. (June)