'First Fridays Book Club' will be held offsite at RaMa LuNa Center for Yoga and Well Being at 282 Main Street Ext in Middletown.

The March title is 'Finding Dorothy,' by Elizabeth Letts. Copies are available at the Borrowing Desk or by placing a hold at www.russelllibrary.org

A richly imagined novel that tells the story behind The Wonderful Wizard of Oz , the book that inspired the iconic film, through the eyes of author L. Frank Baum's intrepid wife, Maud--from the family's hardscrabble days in South Dakota to the Hollywood film set where she first meets Judy Garland.

From Goodreads: "Maud Gage Baum, widow of the author of the book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, met Judy Garland, the young actress playing the role of Dorothy on the set of The Wizard of Oz in 1939. At the time, Maud was seventy-eight and Judy was sixteen. In spite of their age difference, Maud immediately connected to Judy--especially when Maud heard her sing "Over the Rainbow," a song whose yearning brought to mind the tough years in South Dakota when Maud and her husband struggled to make a living--until Frank Baum's book became a national sensation.

This wonderfully evocative two-stranded story recreates Maud's youth as the rebellious daughter of a leading suffragette, and the prairie years of Maud and Frank's early days when they lived among the people--especially young Dorothy--who would inspire Frank's masterpiece. Woven into this past story is one set in 1939, describing the high-pressured days on The Wizard of Oz film set where Judy is being badgered by the director, producer, and her ambitious stage mother to lose weight, bind her breasts, and laugh, cry, and act terrified on command. As Maud had promised to protect the original Dorothy back in Aberdeen, she now takes on the job of protecting young Judy."

We are excited to partner with Rachel Payne and the RaMa Luna Center for Yoga and Well Being, which is located at 282 Main Street Ext in Middletown, on the third floor of the Palmer Eye Care building, next to the Historic Sanseer Mill and CVS.

Facilitated by Christy Billings of Russell Library, Information Services and Adult Learning Department. Questions? (860) 347-2528 Ext 160 or cbillings@russelllibrary.org. Rachel Payne (860) 800-5862 at RaMa Luna, www.ramaluna.com.