I think the greatest joy for an author is to be given the opportunity to publish several books with the same people, especially when those people are as awesome as the team at Ballantine. Thank you so much to Ballantine Bantam Dell publisher Kara Welsh, deputy publisher Kim Hovey, and editor in chief and associate publisher Jennifer Hershey for their unflagging support. For their painstaking attention to detail and sagacious suggestions, thank you to production editor Steve Messina and copy editor Bonnie Thompson. For the book’s beautiful jacket and interior design, I’m grateful to Lynn Andreozzi and Barbara Bachman. As always, I am so grateful to Cindy Murray, deputy director of publicity, and Quinne Rogers, director of marketing, for their cheerful, creative, and ingenious strategies for figuring out how to connect a book with its audience. I am greatly indebted to the entire team in sales, who have shown me time and again that they truly do care about every single book and author.
It is difficult for me to adequately express my gratitude to my wonderful editor, Susanna Porter. Not only does she have keen editorial skills, but she puts in a huge amount of work helping to hone each manuscript. Her perceptive understanding of character helped me to deepen my story and stay true to the strong women I was writing about. I also owe thanks to Emily Hartley, whose helpful and insightful input on an early draft reminded me of the importance of love.
As always, I’m indebted to my agent, Jeff Kleinman at Folio Literary Management, who encouraged me to write fiction again, and whose unflagging and contagious enthusiasm for this story buoyed me through the writing process. I’m also very grateful to Jamie Chambliss at Folio, whose astute editorial feedback early on helped point me toward the emotional heart of the story.
There were many people who read early drafts of the manuscript and whose feedback provided key insights to me. In particular, my children aided me in so many ways—Nora, who helped me to figure out who Dorothy was; Hannah, who came up with the wonderful title; and Willis, who led me to discover Frank and Maud’s story in the first place through his enthusiasm for The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Thanks to my mother, Ginger Letts, who patiently listens and rarely criticizes.
For assistance with the L. Frank Baum Collection, thank you to Shirley Arment at the K. O. Lee Aberdeen Public Library, and thanks also to Michael Swanson at the State Historical Society of North Dakota for providing me with a copy of the Julia Gage Carpenter diary.
Writing can be a solitary profession, and I could not survive it without my dear writing friends who celebrate every success and mourn every missing comma with me: Tasha Alexander and Andrew Grant, Jon Clinch, Karen Dionne, Renée Rosen, Danielle Younge-Ullman, Jessica Keener, Lauren Baratz-Logsted, Melanie Benjamin, Sachin Waikar, Keith Cronin, and Darcie Chan.
For every reader who passes along book recommendations, writes reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, or takes a chance on an unfamiliar author, I’m eternally grateful. For every librarian and bookseller, I consider you my heroes. For all the book club members, you are part of the big extended family of book lovers. Without readers, there are no writers.
To every member of my family, I am eternally grateful for your love and support.
And last, I’d like to honor the memory of Matilda Joslyn Gage, who fought so hard for women’s right to vote so that future generations could benefit from her efforts; L. Frank Baum, whose story and characters have endured more than a century and inspired countless other artists; Judy Garland, whose great talent has continued to spark joy for so many; and Maud herself—the woman behind the curtain!