How did L. Frank Baum’s own life’s journey lead him to the creation of what is arguably the most beloved children’s novel of all time, The Wonderful Wizard of OZ? From his youth in 19th century upstate New York, to his travels on the road as an actor and playwright, to his stint as a newspaper publisher on the midwestern plains, to his time in turn-of-the- 20th century Chicago as a salesman and ultimately a published author, L. Frank Baum’s peripatetic biography is nothing less than remarkable. Characters from both his real life and his imagination come together to tell the story of Baum’s own wondrous odyssey.