“A Hundred Magical Reasons” by Laura DeNooyer

A Hundred Magical Reasons

Laura DeNooyer
Scrivenings Press LLC (2025)
ISBN: ‎ 978-1649174383
Reviewed by Amanda Caswell for Reader Views (01/2026)

If you’re a daydreamer and a thinker, you’re going to love A Hundred Magical Reasons by Laura DeNooyer. The author poses a question that resonates from the beginning: Are you going to live by your passions or by your fears? It’s a poignant one that I actually wrote on a sticky note to keep on my desk.

The detail and descriptions in this book left me almost feeling the breezy, dune-swept backdrop of Lake Michigan. I found the dual-timeline of the story a little difficult to follow at times because the novel weaves the history of The Wizard of Oz with a narrative of generational healing. I am not a huge fan of The Wizard of Oz, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying this book. Or, relating to the characters in it. This story is about the “dragons” we all face, from shame and fear to lies and disappointment, as well as the courage it takes to step out from behind the curtain and be ourselves. 

In the book, we meet Carrie Kruisselbrink, a recent college graduate feeling suffocated by the expectations of her parents and her practical, controlling fiancé, Brian. Carrie dreams of opening a literary-themed book café (don’t we all!), but she is currently drifting, hiding her true self behind a “satin face” to keep the peace.

However, in an act of quiet rebellion, Carrie takes a summer job as a scribe for the town’s eccentric recluse, Mrs. Charlotte Rose Gordon. Mrs. Gordon is the type of opinionated woman that most of us would avoid, however the memoirs Carrie types are fascinating! We get a glimpse at the early 1900s and meet Gordon’s younger self, Janie Broderick. Janie is a young girl with a vivid imagination, stifled by a harsh mother who views fairy tales as “devil’s fodder.”

But Janie finds an unlikely savior in a summer visitor to Macatawa Park: L. Frank Baum, the Royal Historian of Oz himself. Can you imagine?! For me, this was an exciting concept and actually made me want to dive into L. Frank Baum, after reading this novel. Why? The characterization of L. Frank Baum, which I had never even considered, was fantastical. As a fatherly mentor to Janie, he was whimsical and exactly what she needed with his gentle encouragement.

The historical research shines throughout the book. We see Baum engaging with his “Gage” mother-in-law (suffragist Matilda Joslyn Gage), his financial failures in Aberdeen, and his relentless optimism. For Janie, and subsequently for Carrie, Baum becomes a symbol of “common grace” (the idea that creativity and beauty are gifts from God, regardless of where they are found). I loved that!

This book leans slightly religious, but not so much so that it would be a turnoff for anyone not religious. It is a delightful read and a cozy historical mystery that is very hard to put down. If you are a fan of The Wizard of Oz or literary history, you’ll love this book. I’ll leave you with my favorite quote from this novel: “It takes no courage to be cross or critical… But when you want to love someone and want their love in return, that takes all the courage in the world.” — Mrs. Gordon.