About the Book

Book: A Hundred Magical Reasons Author: Laura DeNooyer Genre: Biographical historical fiction, literary fiction, book club fiction Release Date: January 7, 2025

Most fairy tales have happy endings, but is it too late for this one? After all, Mrs. Charlotte Rose Gordon, the disgruntled town recluse, is eighty-eight and has grown weary of fighting the dragons of her past—including the desire to clear her husband’s name of a 1918 crime. Dragons of a different kind pursue Carrie Kruisselbrink. During 1980, the summer of her private rebellion, Carrie defies parental expectations and pursues her café dream. While waiting for funding, she takes a job with Mrs. Gordon. As Mrs. Gordon unfolds the story of her oppressive childhood and delightful friendship with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz author, L. Frank Baum, Carrie never expects to encounter her own fears and soul-searching. In this modern-day fairy tale that weaves between 1980 and the early 1900s, Mr. Baum’s influence impacts each woman’s personal quests on a hero’s journey neither anticipates. Can Carrie and Mrs. Gordon find common ground in battling their respective dragons?

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About the Author

Laura DeNooyer thrives on creativity and encouraging it in others. A Calvin College graduate, she is a teacher, wife, parent of four adult children, and an award-winning author of heart-warming historical and contemporary fiction. Her novels are perfect for fans of Patti Callahan Henry, Erin Bartels, or Amanda Cox. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her reading, walking, drinking tea with friends, or taking a road trip.

More from Laura

Smitten! That was me—smitten—after reading a biography about L. Frank Baum, author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900). Baum was an innovative, larger-than-life personality—no surprise there, given that he created the Land of Oz. He was also a family man with a keen understanding of children and a high regard for women. (His mother-in-law was a suffragist!) His humor and creativity gave him the capacity to bounce back from failure many times. Having always wanted to write a novel set in the turn of the century, Baum fit perfectly into my plans. Fun fact: The Baum family summered at the same lake where our family vacations yearly. Though we were at opposite ends of Lake Macatawa near Holland, Michigan—and opposite ends of the century—I felt a connection. Unstoppable Imagination meets Doubt & Fear Imagination plays a huge role in the story. My main character Janie is at odds with her rigid parents who have no use for fiction, fantasy, or fairy tales. She is only allowed to read The New England Primer, The Pilgrim’s Progress, and the Bible. Then eight-year-old Janie meets the inimitable L. Frank Baum who stretches her imagination in every way possible. This is a major tension throughout the story. This ties to 1980, where my protagonist Carrie wants to run a literary-themed café against her parents’ wishes. They have their own goals for her. As grown-up Janie (now eighty-eight-year-old Mrs. Gordon) unveils her childhood troubles to Carrie, they both make startling discoveries. Bonded by stories and baking Oz-inspired recipes, Carrie and Mrs. Gordon’s intergenerational friendship gradually grows and deepens—one facing fears about her future, the other living with regrets about her past. Brains, Heart, & Courage Whether you’re an Oz fan or not, I believe you’ll enjoy getting to know L. Frank Baum. Besides getting the facts straight, I wanted to create his essence on the page so readers experience what it was like to sit on the Baums’ Macatawa porch with him, whether running a printing press or drinking lemonade. Baum’s stories are all about stirring the child’s imagination, and that’s a key element of my novel. Since we’re all made in the Creator’s image, everybody is creative in their own way. I hope this story inspires readers to use their own imagination to pursue dreams. But dreams only grow in the soil of confidence. As Mrs. Gordon challenges Carrie, “Do you want to live by your passions or by your fears?” One of those fears is being yourself vs. wearing a mask. Join the journey of two women who are hugely impacted by the wisdom, heart, and courage of the creator of Oz.

Interview with the Author

If a reader were to ask you what author you are like, what would you answer?

I would say my writing style is most like Erin Bartels for her literary quality and not confining herself to genre formulas. Additionally, people have told me my writing is similar to Amanda Cox, due to the layered, character-driven stories. The dual timelines I’ve written are reminiscent of Amanda Wen or Melanie Dobson’s style (so I’ve been told!).

My characters have complicated relationships and messy family dynamics. I like delving into the gray, murky areas of life, into false appearances and misjudgments. My stories serve food for thought as well as hope and second chances—tales that “redeem the years the locusts ate.”

What inspired you to write this book?

Two things inspired this story: 1) reading a biography about L. Frank Baum, author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900), and 2) learning that he and his family summered at the same lake where our family vacations yearly near Holland, Michigan. Though we were at opposite ends of Lake Macatawa—and opposite ends of the century—I felt a connection.

Thus, I knew I had to put him in my novel and spotlight the summers he spent at Macatawa Resort (1898-1910).

Baum was an innovative, larger-than-life personality—which is no surprise, given that he created the Land of Oz. He was also a family man with a keen understanding of children and a high regard for women. (His mother-in-law was a suffragist!) His humor and creativity gave him the capacity to bounce back from failure many times.

My story also features a young girl, Janie, whose pious parents have no use for fun, frivolity, fairies, fantasy, or fiction. Then Janie meets L. Frank Baum.

This ties to 1980, where my protagonist Carrie wants to run a literary-themed café against her parents’ wishes. They have their own goals for her. As grown-up Janie (now 88-year-old Mrs. Gordon) unveils her childhood troubles to Carrie, they both find common ground.

If you could travel back in time, what time period would you go to?

I’ve always been intrigued by the turn-of-the-century. That era is full of innovations and inventions that changed our way of life. Consider the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder, spanning from 1867 to 1957. We’re all familiar with her prairie and rustic cabin days, but by the end of her life, families had access to light bulbs, electricity, telephones, phonographs, television, movie theaters, automobiles, and airplanes!

My interest in L. Frank Baum’s life dovetailed with the early 1900s. In 1900, Baum turned 44 and published The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. His fascination with new inventions and technology is reflected in many of his children’s novels. His creativity bubbled up alongside the innovations of that time.

What is your favorite book and why?

To Kill A Mockingbird is my all-time favorite book. It embodies complex characters and relationships, challenging themes, a historical setting, and a plot that builds to a dramatic and rewarding finish. Plus, it offers food for thought. This is what I aim for as a fiction writer.

What is one question you would like readers to ask you? What would be your answer?

I’d like them to ask how my life experience has shaped my writing—so that I could in turn encourage them to share theirs.

Writing has served me as a creative outlet, a catalyst for ideas, a source of solace, and a way to explore a myriad of confusing thoughts and feelings. I wrestle with difficult events and emotional challenges from my own experiences as these scenarios somehow wind up in my stories, bringing fresh insights, fostering empathy, stretching my limits and my faith. That makes story writing a form of journaling.

In particular, in A Hundred Magical Reasons, I explored themes close to my heart: imagination, courage to be yourself, intergenerational friendship, and the role of fathers—things that matter to me, ones that I hope resonate with my readers.

We’re made in the Creator’s image, so we create—each of us in different ways. It’s a blessing in itself. He delights in our creativity. So, I love to encourage others to use their imagination—whether through the arts, business, cooking, social events, or whatever.

I also encourage people to journal and to write down their life experiences as a keepsake. Everybody has hard-earned wisdom to offer and pass down through the generations.