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Berkley, June 17, 2025
This story is a mesmerizing creation of Dorothy’s Auntie Em before Dorothy came to live with her in Kansas and then their life right after. Emily immigrated with her parents from Ireland and her two sisters. She was very close to Annie, Dorothy’s mother, until Emily learns Annie’s secret. Emily feels displaced until she marries Henry and goes from city life in Chicago to being a homesteader. Things are wonderful until the dust bowl. This reimagining of the story of Dorothy from the Wonderful Wizard of Oz is creative, engaging, and taught me a lot about the time period.
Gaynor blends in what we know about Dorothy and makes it make sense in the context of the setting. There was a great drought in the Great Plains and a rainmaker comes with dynamite and pyrotechnics, reminding us of course of the Wizard of Oz, for example. I also enjoyed the theme of the story which is no surprise: home is about being with the people you love.
Hazel Gaynor is a wonderful writer of historical fiction. If you haven’t had a chance to check out her books, this one would be a great start. I really enjoyed it.
I was given an advance review copy from Net Galley and all opinions are my own.
Johnny Cruel is born with strange appendages on his back, frightening his neighbors and leaving him struggling to find a home. He ends up in a “freak show” traveling the 1930s South, where he bares his back to onlookers who come to gape and fawn. Is he a horror or an angel? Should he hide himself to live his life?
Johnny’s travails in the Depression-era U.S. shine a spotlight on the era, where traveling shows provided entertainment and the odd could bring a thrill to grueling lives. Ideal for fans of Water for Elephants and Weyward, Boy With Wings brings the sideshow performer’s plight to life, surrounded by menace but also adulation, fraud, love and an undeniable magic.
Boy With Wings details Johnny’s life from a small child to a young adult. The following is an interview from his teen years, when he’s the star of the “Alexander’s Traveling Oddities” show that patrons pay extra to see.
Johnny, what was it like when you first appeared on the show?
I was scared. I didn’t know what it would be like, or even what I was supposed to do. They told me—Tot and Sheila—to just go out there and let them look, but I didn’t want to do it. They made me wear this cape-like thing, and there were all these people staring from behind a rope. But when I took off the cape and showed them, well, it was okay.
Do you like it now, being the star?
I guess. I’ve gotten used to it, and in a way, I suppose I like it some. I listen more to the crowd now, to what they’re saying and their other reactions. People faint sometimes. I get heckled now and then. I sign photos of myself after the shows, which can get a bit tiresome. And I feel bad in some ways because others here work so hard, performing multiple times a day, while I just go out and show the patrons my back. I wish I could sing or dance or do something more, but I haven’t come up with anything yet to add to my act.
What are the other acts like?
Oh, they’re really great! We have Zorat the sword-swallower who also breathes fire—he’s one of my favorites. There’s Sheila the tattooed lady, and Boris who throws knives, and Alfred who has this wooden dummy named Cletus who talks all on his own. There are others more like me—the true freaks, they call us: Otto, who’s a pinhead, Kenneth the Dog-Faced Man, and Tot, the tiny lady who runs the show. There are also these minstrel singers, who have voices that are amazing! We had girls who danced, too, but they had to leave.
What was your life like before the show?
I’d rather not talk about that.
What are the patrons like at your shows?
They’re mostly men: farmers and workers. Sometime women, and occasionally children, too. I see some of the men drinking from bottles—that’s hooch, or so Winifred tells me. Tot made the decision to allow Negros into the shows, and that has made some people mad.
Who is Winifred?
She’s this girl, my friend. She’s the only other kid on the show, though she’s not a performer. She’s Tot’s daughter. She’s. . . Well, I guess she’s my girlfriend.
Are you religious?
Sure. I study with Zorat—his real name is Robert. We read the Bible, and he tells me of things that he’s learned. I don’t understand lots of it. I wish I could know more.
What do you think the future holds?
I’m not sure. I saw someone from my past recently, and it brought back this big, dark cloud. My mother is dead, but I’d like to find my father, or at least I think that’s what I want. Winifred and I have that in common—she’s looking for her father, too. Who knows what could be out there for us? I’d like to have a regular job, a regular life, but for now I’m okay being on the show. We’re like a big family, you know? Or at least this is the family I’ve got.
Are they really wings?
I think so. I don’t know. I have to turn on my side to sleep.
MARK MUSTIAN is the author of the novels “The Return” and “The Gendarme,” the latter an international bestseller that has been published in eleven languages. He was a finalist for the Dayton International Literary Peace Prize, shortlisted for the Saroyan International Award for Writing, and the winner of the Florida Gold Book Award for fiction. He is the founder and president of the Word of South Festival of Literature and Music in Tallahassee, Florida, now in its tenth year. A former elected official and an attorney, he lives in Florida and Michigan with his wife and elderly dog. Learn more at: www.markmustian.com
Today we’re chatting with Dana Foster in her favorite spot, the library, in the sprawling town called Fenton, nestled in the foothills south of the Adirondacks in New York. She is in fourth grade as she reveals the beginning of her family’s story from 1970-1974.
Nice to meet you, Dana. Thank you for talking to us in this beautiful Fenton library. We understand you live nearby.
Our house is a block down the street from the side entrance. It’s the smallest in a neighborhood of bigger, two-story houses. But Mom has room to make her pottery there. Her kiln is in the basement. She sells them at the arts and crafts shops in town that draw people from out of town. Then they can enjoy lunch or dessert at any of the quaint restaurants or tea houses. There’s also a playhouse and historic places to tour.
So, your mom is a potter. What does your dad do?
He’s the manager of a cotton mill in town. People like to go to its outlet store to buy seconds, those flawed products you can still use or wear. The tanning mills have them in leather, too.
It sounds like a town with a variety of attractions. What do you especially like about living here?
Fenton is a safe place for kids to roam free and do what they want. I used to follow my older brother, Luke, everywhere, even if he decided to do something stupid. Like one time, we crept around the outside ledge of this library. We held our arms out against the building and slid along sideways. Almost made me dizzy to look down. We made it past the first corner to the front of the building before anyone saw us. That turned us back quick! We ran home in a second. But I did it. I’m brave! I proved it to my brother.
Why did you feel you had to prove that?
I was afraid Luke wouldn’t include me in his adventures if I didn’t. But I wanted to prove it to myself, too. I kept trying. Didn’t always work, though.
What’s an example of something that didn’t work?
I watched him cartwheel across the lawn like a clown. I tried but never got the hang of it. When he coached me to make my legs straight by imagining them as the hands on a clock, it didn’t help. I was afraid of falling. Can you think what it took for me to step up on the library ledge?
It sounds as if you and Luke are different in many ways.
Oh, definitely. He never worried about getting in trouble. On a hot day, he pushed me into the fishpond, right here on the other side of the library grounds, and fell in after me to make it look like an accident. I remember how cool the water felt. I wanted to float around, but then Luke told me the groundskeeper warned him the day before to stay away from the pond!
You didn’t mention Luke at the beginning when you talked about your parents. Why is that?
A terrible thing happened…last summer before fourth grade. (A pause) I just can’t talk about it.
What about your parents? Can they talk about it?
Instead of being sad, Dad is angry. He’s still mad at Mom for letting Luke go when he was supposed to mow the lawn. Luke promised to do it the next day, and he would have. He always did his chores. Dad’s even mad at God for letting it happen. I’ve never heard my parents quarrel until now. So, you can guess how it is at our house.
We’re sorry to hear that.
It’s hard to believe Luke’s not here. I know he’s in heaven as Mom says, but I miss him every day. I thought those summer days would never end. I keep praying for a chance to talk to him one more time or visit him up there. I wonder if he’s growing his hair long like Jesus.
How do you fill your time without Luke?
Yesterday I wandered into his empty room and slipped under the covers in his bed. But the sheets smelled of laundry detergent and fresh air. Not like Luke. I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at his dresser and began to think about peeking into the drawers.
Guess what I found? Luke’s blue sailboat! He sailed it by the street curb after a rainstorm. It looked like the real thing with its mast straight up as it ran with the current. We couldn’t keep up. In the flash of a second, the water swept it down the storm drain! It was gone. And I mean, gone. I saw it happen with my own eyes. I can’t imagine how he rescued it. Anyway, I have it even though it’s beat up pretty bad.
Can you describe how it looks?
All the gouges, broken mast, and no sails, make it hard to recognize. Mom agreed Luke would want me to have it for safe keeping. It’s all I have left of him.
Do you have any plans for it?
Not yet. I don’t want to let it get away again. It’s very special. Mom says no matter what, I have to trust God with whatever happens, so that’s what I’ll do.
Thank you for meeting with us, Dana. Our best to you and your boat. Who knows? Maybe it will play a role in a future adventure.
More about Chasing the Blue Boat: A novel of longing
Nine-year-old Dana Foster follows her older brother, Luke, wherever he goes. From climbing on ledges, jumping in a fish pond, and causing general mischief, Luke is fearless. But when tragedy strikes the Foster family, everything that Dana has ever known is suddenly turned upside down. When the storms of life come, will the Foster family stand firm in their faith? Or will they shatter under the pressure? Suddenly, a blue boat that Dana and Luke received from their uncle leads Dana on a journey of faith, hope, and love that she will not soon forget. In this coming-of-age story, discover the truths of God’s grace in suffering, the blessing of forgiveness, and how to hold on to your faith when all hope seems lost.
About Connie
Connie Kallback grew up on the plains of Cheyenne, Wyoming, attended the University of Wyoming, and graduated from the University of Washington in Seattle. She transitioned from English teacher to publishing in New Jersey with CCMI/McGraw-Hill, Prentice Hall, and CPP, Inc, in positions from writer to acquisitions and managing editor. Her early writing, penned while teaching, appeared in magazines, newspapers and literary journals. No longer wearing the hats of Mary Poppins or Sherlock Holmes, necessities of raising six children in two separate families, she writes in South Carolina where she lives with her husband.
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