Mary Louise Adopts a Soldier

Published the year L. Frank Baum died in 1919, ‘Mary Louise Adopts a Soldier’ is the fifth book in the children’s series and is widely considered to have been completed by an anonymous author, based on notes Baum had previously written. Set in post-WWI America, kind-hearted Mary Louise decides she would like to help a returning soldier who mightn’t have any family or friends to welcome him home. She persuades grandpa Jim to take in Danny Dexter to work as their chauffeur and gardener, but one day Danny mysteriously disappears and Mary Louise must work quickly alongside her friend and trainee detective Josie O’Gorman to track Danny down.

Lyman Frank Baum (1856 – 1919) was a prolific and well-known American writer. He is best known for his famous series of modern fairy tales set in the imaginary land of Oz. The first of the books, ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’ is widely considered to be the first true American fairy tale and was the basis for the hugely popular 1939 classic musical ‘The Wizard of Oz’ starring Judy Garland. Born and raised in New York, Baum held a range of jobs including as a poultry farmer, clerk, and storekeeper before pursuing his talent for writing at the age of 41. He wrote 14 novels in the Oz series, as well as over 40 other novels and over 80 short stories. He died in California in 1919.