The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale by Virginia Kantra is a modern reimagining of The Wizard of Oz.

The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale by Virginia Kantra

Genre/Categories/Setting: Contemporary women’s fiction, retelling, finding yourself, Dublin (Ireland)

*This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

My Summary of The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale:

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale. Thanks #NetGalley @BerkleyPub for a complimentary e ARC of #TheFairytaleLifeOfDorothyGale upon my request. All opinions are my own.

After the passing of Dorothy’s mother, Dorothy “Dee” and her sister live with Uncle Henry and Aunt Em in Kansas. In graduate school, Dorothy has an affair with a faculty member that ends in heartbreak and humiliation. Trying to escape the negative publicity and attention, Dee moves to Ireland and applies to the writing program at Trinity College in Dublin. Dee makes new friends and gains confidence in making decisions about her future.

My Thoughts:

Retelling

Do you appreciate a modern reimagining? For me, it depends and my reading experiences vary. The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale is inspired by The Wizard of Oz. I enjoyed matching the contemporary characters with their Wizard of Oz counterparts. There’s Aunt Em, of course, seemingly brainless Sam, distant and heartless-at-first-glance Tim Woodman, and loyal Reeti who needs a shot of courage. An entertaining part of the story is to notice the many (and sometime too on-the-nose) Wizard of Oz callbacks (including the cover, the title, and her journey to the “Emerald Isle”). This story could stand on its own well without the retelling aspect.

Themes

Thoughtful themes include self-discovery, following your dreams, a fresh start, facing your fears, gaining confidence, healing, home, friendship, and a side of romance (closed door).

Content Consideration: toxic, manipulative relationship

Recommending The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale

Fans of modern reimaginings will enjoy The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale with its likable characters and substantial themes.

Related: If you enjoy retellings, you might also enjoy Kantra’s modern retelling of Little Women in Meg & Jo and Beth & Amy.

My Rating:  4 Stars

Meet the Author of The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale, Virginia Kantra

New York Times bestselling author Virginia Kantra is the author of more than twenty novels. Her stories have earned numerous awards including two Romance Writers of America’s RITA (R) Awards, ten RITA nominations, and two National Readers’ Choice Awards. Carolina Dreaming, the fifth book in her Dare Island series, won the 2017 RITA (R) Award for Best Contemporary Romance – Midlength and was named one of BookPage’s Top Ten Romance Novels of 2016.

Virginia is married to her college sweetheart, a coffee shop owner who keeps her well supplied with caffeine and material. They make their home in North Carolina, where they raised three (mostly adult) children. She is a firm believer in the strength of family, the importance of storytelling, and the power of love. Her favorite thing to make for dinner? Reservations.

Author’s Website: http://virginiakantra.com.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/VirginiaKantraBooks

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QOTD:

Is this retelling on your TBR?

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I purchase or borrow from the library all books I review unless explicitly stated that the book is free (arc).

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