Brooklyn native creates new book series based on ‘The Wizard of Oz’
Brooklyn BookBeat: ‘Ages of Oz’ Adds Exciting Dimensions to an Iconic Work
Gabriel Gale, who was born and raised in Bay Ridge, has immersed himself in the legend and legacy of L. Frank Baum’s “The Wizard of Oz” series of books. Gale, whose pen name is derived from Oz heroine Dorothy Gale, has created the first volume of a planned three-novel prequel to the beloved Baum classic focused on the origin story of Glinda, the Good Witch of the South.
In “Ages of Oz,” Gale, along with Lisa Fiedler, has provided the perfect framework for an inspired new book that follows the beloved Glinda on her travels down the red brick road. Readers will discover an entirely new dimension to the Glinda character as depicted in the original “Wizard of Oz” and the hit Broadway play “Wicked.”
The Glinda in Gale’s universe is an empowered young woman much like Katniss Everdeen in “The Hunger Games” trilogy. She serves as a model for teens and young women and as a figure of empowerment. The main theme of the book is learning how to think for yourself while on a journey to seek the truth. In the story, Glinda is turning into a force on her way to becoming the most powerful sorceress in all of Oz.