A groundbreaking new look at an American icon, The Wizard of Oz. Finding Oz tells the remarkable tale behind one of the worlds most enduring and best loved stories. Offering profound new insights into the true origins and meaning of L. Frank Baums 1900 masterwork, it delves into the personal turmoil and spiritual transformation that fueled Baums fantastical parable of the American Dream. Prior to becoming an impresario of childrens adventure talesthe J. K. Rowling of his ageBaum failed at a series of careers and nearly lost his soul before setting out on a journey of discovery that would lead to the Land of Oz. Drawing on original research, Evan Schwartz debunks popular misconceptions and shows how the people, places, and events in Baums life gave birth to his unforgettable images and characters. The Yellow Brick Road was real, the Emerald City evoked the Chicago Worlds Fair of 1893, and Baums mother-in-law, the radical womens rights leader Matilda Joslyn Gage, inspired his dual view of witchesas good and wicked. A narrative that sweeps across late nineteenth-century America, Finding Oz ultimately reveals how failure and heartbreak can sometimes lead to redemption and bliss, and how one individual can ignite the imagination of the entire world.