Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West

Often, how quickly I finish a book is an indicator of how much I liked it. This was not the case with Wicked: The True Story of the Wicked Witch of the West. While I usually devour books on roadtrips and over holidays, life with a toddler doesn't allow the same level of voracious reading. This book took me a good three weeks to read, but I enjoyed every minute of it.

I have a love / hate relationship with The Wizard of Oz. I really enjoy the movie and the songs, but I have strong memories of it because it prompted my first nightmare. Eerily, I had a dream while reading Wicked that was partly inspired by this book, too.

The story is just what the title says. Every person has a story, circumstances that shape who they are and how they feel and act. In our lives, we are usually just concerned with our story and maybe those of the ones we love and are close to. In fiction, it is the same. We all love Dorothy and know her story. In this book, Gregory Maguire gives us Elphaba's story. Yup, the Wicked Witch of the West has a name! (L F B, L. Frank Baum's initials, get it?) In fact, she's not even really a witch, she was just born green to the consternation of her parents.

I like seeing things from a different perspective, and here we get to see the story leading up to the infamous tornado, the tornado, and what follows.

I recommend the book and look forward to seeing the Broadway production someday.