Hey Dorothy You're Not in Kansas Anymore [Paperback]

Karen Mueller Bryson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 30, 2001

In this fast-paced and funny first novel, Karen Mueller Bryson tells the story of a young woman’s wild journey coming to terms with her father’s sudden death. Hey Dorothy You’re Not in Kansas Anymore is a delightful and engaging tale reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz.

Dorothy Gale Robinson, an aspiring actress, is the daughter of hippie parents with a passion for old movies. When her father is killed suddenly while sipping a non-fat decaf mocha latte at a local coffee shop, Dorothy's life is turned upside down. After an unconventional dispersing of her father's ashes at the Universal Studios' Psycho House, Dorothy’s mother decides to sell all her worldly possessions and join a New Age cult headquartered in Banff, Canada. Of course, Dorothy's twin brother, Jude, is too busy with his law firm to help Dorothy save their mother from the clutches of the sinister cult, so she seeks the aid of her new boyfriend, Lahrs, and a cult-buster, Mervyn O’Roy, who just happens to look like Mickey Rooney. The motley trio venture from Florida to Canada, and through a series of mishaps and misadventures, Dorothy and her fellow rescuers recover Dorothy’s mother, and everyone finds a little romance in the Canadian Rockies.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Praise for the Book
A magnificent work...let the joyous news be spread.
- Glinda, The Good Witch
I think Dorothy finally made it home with this one!
- Auntie Em
A spectacular feat of stratospheric skill.
- Professor Marvel
If you have half a brain, you'll buy this book.
- The Scarecrow
(Bow) Wow! Wow!
- Toto --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Karen Mueller Bryson is a produced and award winning playwright. Her one-act play Thazel Hoffstetter Lives Here was produced at Unity Fest 2000 at the Bank Street Theatre in New York City. Her short play The Doctor Will See You Now was produced by StageWorks in Tampa, Florida as a part of their "Briefs and LongJohns” series and will be produced by Potluck Productions in Kansas City, Kansas this summer. Her short play God’s Grace was produced in “An Evening of One-Acts” at Carrollwood Players in Tampa, Florida and her play But Does He Know Botticelli was produced at Cayuga Community College in Auburn, New York. It also received a staged reading at the Footsteps Theatre in Chicago and received an Honorable Mention in the 1999 McLaren Memorial Playwriting Contest. Her play When Fat Chicks Rule the World was a winner of the Scriptwriters of South Carolina Playwriting Contest and received a staged reading. The play was also a semi-finalist in the 13th Annual Henrico Theatre Company One-Act Playwriting Competition. A monologue from the play was recently selected for publication in the anthology AUDITION MONOLOGS FOR YOUNG ACTORS—II. The book will be published by Meriwether Publishing in Colorado Springs (USA) in summer of 2001. Mueller Bryson is a student in the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) Program in Creative Writing at Warnborough University in London, England.

Prior to becoming a playwright and novelist, Karen Mueller Bryson earned a Master's Degree in Human Development Counseling and worked for a number of years as a counselor and educator.

Product Details

• Paperback: 166 pages
• Publisher: Booklocker.com (May 30, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931391432
• ISBN-13: 978-1931391436
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,622,762 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dr. Karen Mueller Bryson is an award-winning/optioned screenwriter, produced playwright and published novelist. Karen has been writing since she learned to read and fell in love with books! When she's not at her computer creating new stories, Karen enjoys spending time with her husband and their bloodhounds.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars New Entry into Chick LIt Genre, December 27, 2002

By 

Carolyn Howard-Johnson "Author 'This is the P... (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Hey Dorothy, You're Not in Kansas Anymore (Paperback)

I was intrigued by the title of Karen Mueller Bryson's book, and who wouldn't be? The English speaking world has been mightily affected by the metaphor of Oz. "Hey Dorothy You're Not in Kansas Anymore" does not disappoint.

A young woman loses her father in a freak accident. She is one of a family with enough peccadilloes among them to keep any reader fascinated. She decides she will sleep her pain away, her mother decides she will run away with a cult, and brother decides to bury himself in his achievements and try to ignore the whole mess. The pain in this family is palpable but so is their zest for living. Those who loved "Bridget Jones's Diary" may like this book even better. It has the snap of the new genre called chick lit to which "Diary" is a prominent member; like "Diary" it explores the pain that twenty-somethings often experience in a society that isn't keen on letting them grow up.

What makes this novel better is that Our Dear Dorothy is just more likeable than Bridget. She is not quite so needy, quite so miserable, is just less of a cookie-cutter character all around.

What makes this novel move along so quickly is the authors background as a playwright. The dialogue is quick and convincing. The grounding is much like a theater production. The settings are sufficiently presented but do not dominate.

Mostly the humor is so natural. I laughed out loud three times in the first two chapters and chuckled even more often. All in all, it's a good lesson that the absurd may be found in the most agonizing of situations and that it works ever so well as a healer.

(Carolyn Howard-Johnson is the author of "Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered.")

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Unpredictable Romp, July 14, 2001

By 

Anthony Patrick (Calgary, Alberta) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hey Dorothy You're Not in Kansas Anymore (Paperback)

What do you get when you take a freak accidental death involving a sanitation truck and a non-fat decaf mocha latte, a neurotic widow, a self-absorbed workaholic brother, and a funky cult? You get the life of Dorothy Gale Robinson, the central character in a charming novel about life's ups and downs in central Florida. This comic lark takes the reader from Florida to the heart of the Canadian Rockies, where romance is sure to find almost everyone.

Dorothy is an aspiring actress, whose real life seems to be following a script filled with scene after scene of whimsical melodrama. Everyone in her life is somehow connected to the Wizard of Oz. Whether it be by name association, or by physical appearance, Dorothy is surrounded by quirky characters that are simply endearing. There are more than enough twists to keep you on your toes. Just when you think it can't get any more bizarre, there's a new turn in the road and you're left giggling to yourself. From the beginning of her journey, where tragedy comes in the form of a runaway garbage truck, to the end of the story where everyone lives happily ever after (over the rainbow?), this unpredictable romp is simply delightful. This is a book that you just have to read in one sitting. It's a guaranteed page-turner!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Where troubles melt like lemon drops, August 13, 2001

By 

maria nicholson (Lake Hopatcong, NJ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hey Dorothy You're Not in Kansas Anymore (Paperback)

A magical delight of a book. Funny and satirical. Impressive for a first novel. Filled with memorable characters like Mervyn O'Roy and Dorothy's mother, Mrs. Robinson. Dorothy's misadventures tickle the funny bone as well as answer that age old question: What happens to Dorothy when she grows up? This satirical look at the modern adventures of a grown up Dorothy, give us hope that life can be a romantic romp for those who are willing to suspend their disbelief. She calls herself ordinary. But Dorothy Gale Robinson proves she is anything but ordinary in this tour de force. Her caring and concern shines through her modern sense of cynicism with laughable consequences. A satirical look at the Wizard of Oz, gives us the joy of following this Dorothy on her equally riotous adventures. Settle down in a comfy chair, pick up this book and read to your heart's content.