After Oz by Gordon McAlpine [Book Review]

After Oz by Gordon McAlpine is a gripping twist on Dorothy’s return to Kansas—magic, murder, and small-town drama collide in this five-star read!

What a surprise! I picked up After Oz because the premise was intriguing—what was life in Kansas like before and after Dorothy “returned” from Oz? But honestly, beyond that, I didn’t have many expectations. Perhaps that’s why I ended up enjoying this book so much. Learn more about the book and why I gave it five out of five stars.

What is the book about?

Kansas, 1896. After a tornado destroys the Gale family farm, 11-year-old Dorothy goes missing. As the days pass by, the Gales are increasingly terrified the worst has happened. But when the girl turns up unharmed four days later, the townsfolk breathe in a sigh of relief. That is, until Dorothy herself relates her account of the events that took place after her disappearance.

In vivid detail, Dorothy describes a fantastical land and its magical inhabitants, from the scarecrow, the tin man, and the cowardly lion to the wizard and the witch. Her recollections are not only regarded as delusional, but also as pagan and diabolical in nature, especially when the body of a local spinster is found.

Making connections between the evil witch Dorothy claims to have defeated and the ill-tempered old crone, authorities find what they believe to be incriminating evidence, sentencing Dorothy to the Topeka Insane Asylum.

When 28-year-old psychologist Dr. Evelyn Grace Wilford arrives at the asylum to interview Dorothy, she begins to wonder if Dorothy truly committed the crime or if something unfathomable has really occurred.

In a small town full of insidious secrets, will Evelyn be able to save Dorothy from her terrible circumstances? Or is something menacing lurking just out of sight? [goodreads.com]

My thoughts:

From the very beginning, After Oz pulls you in and sets the tone for the small, pious town where Dorothy lives with her Uncle Henry and Aunt Emily. It’s the kind of place where everyone knows everyone else’s business. After a tornado devastates parts of the town, Dorothy Gale goes missing, and when she returns, claiming to have accidentally killed a witch in a magical land, the town is baffled. But things take a darker turn when a local woman turns up dead, and the town quickly turns on Dorothy. Is she a liar? Is she insane? Or has something more sinister taken hold of the 11-year-old girl? Whatever the reason, the town is convinced she is a murderer. Only one woman believes in her innocence and is determined to free the imaginative girl, hoping to uncover the real murderer.

I couldn’t put this book down. I felt infuriated on Dorothy’s behalf and actually had the urge to physically harm some of the more “important” men in town. Gordon McAlpine’s writing delivered on every level, making me feel so immersed in the story that I found myself emotionally reacting over and over again. I’ve never read McAlpine’s work before, and even though this was his final book before his death, I’m definitely planning to explore more of his existing work.

After Oz was just a good story, and I recommend it to anyone looking for a well-written book with clever plot lines and vivid characters. It’s an easy five out of five stars for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest and thoughtful review.

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