Virginia Kantra: On Revisiting and Reimagining Childhood Favorites
New York Times bestselling author Virginia Kantra is the author of over 30 novels about strong women, messy families, and the search for a place to call home. Her stories have earned numerous awards, including two Romance Writers of America’s RITA® Awards and two National Readers’ Choice Awards.
Her most recent novels, Meg & Jo and Beth & Amy (inspired by the classic Little Women) received starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly and the American Library Association’s Booklist and praise from People Magazine. Married to her college sweetheart, Virginia lives in North Carolina. Follow her on Facebook and Instagram.
Virginia Kantra
In this post, Virginia discusses modernizing a childhood classic with her new romance novel, The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale, her hope from readers, and more!
Name: Virginia Kantra
Literary agent: Robin Rue, Writers House
Book title: The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale
Publisher: Berkley
Release date: December 5, 2023
Genre/category: Women’s Fiction, Romance
Previous titles: Meg & Jo; Beth & Amy
Elevator pitch: The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale is a contemporary reimagining of The Wizard of Oz, with Dorothy as a graduate student from Kansas (of course!) who gets involved with an older professor in her writing program. When her lover humiliates her in his bestselling novel, Dee runs away to Trinity College Dublin where she makes new friends and finds her own voice.
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What prompted you to write this book?
After writing over 30 novels, I’ve been drawn more and more to exploring the stories that shaped me as a reader and as a person—the books that inspired my love of writing in the first place. So, in Meg & Jo and Beth & Amy, in The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale and my current project (Anne of a Different Island), I’m revisiting those childhood stories to see what still resonates with me as an adult, what might have been glossed over or left out, and how the characters I loved speak to the things I have to say now.
The Oz books were among the first chapter books I read. Plus, I think we need stories right now about strong women and finding your own power.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
Almost three years from idea to publication, although some of that lag was because Berkley was hoping the movie Wicked would be released this Christmas.
As a kid, I loved that Dorothy was an ordinary girl like me. She doesn’t wield a sword or possess any flashy magic ability. I wanted to stay true to L. Frank Baum’s vision of a world in which women, the witches and Ozma, held the true power. But it wasn’t until I was writing Dee’s story that I recognized how important her strengths—kindness, resilience, loyalty—are as a catalyst for all the other characters. I found myself really leaning into this sense of Dee navigating the world as a woman.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
I’ve been working with the wonderful Cindy Hwang at Berkley for 20 years, so there weren’t a lot of surprises on the editorial side. I was definitely impressed by the creative efforts of the marketing and publicity team on this book. And I was absolutely blown away by Penguin Random House Audio’s casting for the audio book. Not only did they nail the voice of Dee, but they found the proper British narrator for Tim’s chapters, and the perfect Irish narrator for Sam’s.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
Dorothy’s destination is always the Emerald City. Originally, I thought I’d set my story in Seattle. But that didn’t feel big enough, other enough, to be the Land of Oz. So, the story shifted to Ireland, the Emerald Isle, which has real magic of its own. I wanted to recreate that iconic movie moment when Dorothy opens the door of her aunt and uncle’s gray farmhouse and finds herself in this whole new Technicolor world that welcomes and delights and challenges her.
What I didn’t expect—when I finally made it to Dublin, in the last stages of writing the book—was that I would experience that feeling myself.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
This was such a joyful story to write. I want them to have that sense of fun and adventure. And of course I want them to go on the journey with Dee and her friends, to recognize the power that has been inside them all along!
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
Writing is an isolating journey. You need to find your trusted friends/mentors/companions to make it. Just like Dorothy.
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