Excerpt from Finding Dorothy by Elizabeth Letts, plus links to reviews, author biography & more

"Have a seat." She cut off any further conversation with a vigorous clacking of her typewriter keys.

Maud sat, feet crossed at the ankle, handbag and a well-­worn copy of Oz balanced on her lap, hoping to convey that she wasn't planning on going anywhere.

Every now and again, Mrs. Koverman would stand up and rap upon the door with the brass plaque on it reading louis b. mayer, then enter with a piece of typed paper or a phone message. Each time she emerged, Maud looked at her steadily while Mrs. Koverman avoided her gaze. Once in a while, Maud glanced at her wristwatch. Soon one-­thirty had come and gone.

The two women might have remained in their silent test of wills had not a large commotion ensued from the elevator bay—­a loud thwack and a cry of "Bugger all!" filled the room. Maud was astonished to see a giant young man—­well over six feet tall—­rubbing his head, then bending over to gather up a scattered pile of papers from the floor. Most surprising, a brand-­new edition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz had skidded across the floor, landing almost at Maud's feet.

She picked it up and approached the man. "I believe you've lost this?"

"Right," he said with a British accent. "Just give me a minute. I'm a bit dazed."

Maud watched with alarm as the lanky man swayed like a tall pine on a windy day. But after a moment, he straightened his tie, took the book from Maud, and held out his other hand in greeting. "Noel Langley. Scenarist."

He noted the faded clothbound volume Maud held in her other hand. "Doing a little homework, I see."

"Homework?"

"Let me guess. Are you playing Auntie Em?"

"Auntie Em?" Maud was startled. She peered at the man, confused. "But how could you . . . ?"

"Clara Blandick," Langley continued, not seeming to notice Maud's reaction. "I presume . . ."

"Oh, the actress?" Maud said, gathering her wits. "You mean the actress?"

"Yes, the actress," Langley said, louder this time. Maud blinked in irritation.

"Not at all. I'm not an actress," Maud said firmly. "I'm Maud Baum—­Mrs. L. Frank . . . ?"

Langley returned a blank look.

"My late husband, Frank—­L. Frank Baum? Author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz?" Maud held up her book and pointed to the author's name.

Still looking puzzled, he scrutinized Maud as if seeing her for the first time. She twisted the emerald she wore on her fourth finger and smoothed the folds of her simple floral dress, aware how out of place she must appear to this elegant young man.

"But the book was written before I was born . . ." Langley said slowly, as if trying to solve a difficult math problem in his head. "Surely his wife must be . . ." As he spoke, his head cocked progressively more to one side, until with his long limbs and small tilted head, he looked like a curious grasshopper.

"I'm seventy-­seven years old," Maud said. "Not dead yet, if that's what you were thinking."

"Certainly not, of course not," Langley stammered, his face now beet red. "It's just that I imagined the book was published years ago? I guess, I assumed—­oh, never mind what I assumed . . ."

"Not to worry," Maud said soothingly. "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was published in 1900. The turn of the century."

"Ah, yes . . ." Langley said. His blush had faded, but the tips of his auricles remained pink.

"Must seem like ancient history to a young man like you." Maud's heart sank at the thought.

Langley nodded in agreement.

"Which brings up a good point," Maud said. "It's a lucky chance I've run into you. You see—­"

Before Maud had a chance to finish, the elevator doors slid open again and a brown-­haired man seemed to blow out as if pushed by a strong wind.

Excerpted from Finding Dorothy by Elizabeth Letts. Copyright © 2019 by Elizabeth Letts. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.