L. Frank Baum tried – and failed at – a number of careers before writing one of the most popular books of all time. Schwartz interprets Baum’s life as an example of Joseph Campbell’s heroic journey. He also uses Eastern religious ideas as found in Theosophy (Baum’s mother-in-law was, in addition to being a leader in the women’s suffrage movement, and active Theosophist) to frame Baum’s life as a search for his true self.
Imposing these structures on his subject makes for an interesting book but one which is almost entirely about Baum’s pre-Oz life. I would have liked more detail on the actual writing of the Oz books and felt that Baum’s post-Oz years were shortchanged in service of Schwartz’s narrative scheme. It’s also the case that Schwartz sometimes seems to stretch a little far to fit Baum’s life and times into his theme. Nevertheless, it’s an interesting book and Baum’s life provides a good framework for looking at the America’s Gilded Age.