Category: Women ISBN-10: 1070784745
Type: Fiction
Pages: 87
Copyright: May 28, 2019
ISBN-13: 9781070784748
Price: $2.99 (eBook)
(Baxter Springs, Kansas) - Discover how a beloved high school guidance counselor twists fate on behalf of four troubled misfits, and turns their life around.
Ten years after graduating from Franklin High, four troubled individuals indebted to their guidance counselor, Oscar Wizardo, wend their way back home to attend his funeral.
Grappling with their demons, dilemmas, and despair—Doreen Gale, Scott Crowe, Lyle Forrest, and Tim Woodman follow that figurative yellow brick road, walking a fine line between realism and magic. Discover what destiny holds in store for each of them.
Worlds apart from L. Frank Baum’s original, MR. WIZARDO takes flight over the rainbow through turbulent darkness and plot twists spewing fate’s debris.
Excerpt
Doreen Gale’s ruby-red, pointed-toe, satin stilettos embellished with leaf-like diamantes glittered as she strutted along the slate catwalk. In no time flat, she bridged the short distance from foyer to front desk inside the Rainbow Hotel, her raven-black hair a tangle of windblown tresses.
Literally arriving on the heels of a successful book tour in Manhattan after the publication of her latest romance novel, she hadn’t a moment to spare for shedding glamorous attire. Fretting she’d miss her flight to Kansas, Doreen nabbed a cab soon after congenially signing and personalizing the last recipient’s book.
Forget shopping at Bloomingdale’s! Off to LaGuardia Airport, pulling away from the curb and merging with gridlock in the time it takes for a wicked witch to melt. Scenery in the Big Apple jiggled and joggled as it faded from view on account of the munchkin of a cigar-wielding cabbie abruptly braking and accelerating during rush hour.
She owed it to Mr. Wizardo.
Professional Reviews Book Review (Goodreads)
By J.S. Frankel
A wondrous little tale that owes as much to Frank L.Baum as it does to Ray Bradbury. This novella (novelette?) follows the tale of four individuals--Doreen Gale, Scott Crowe, Lyle Forrest, and Tim Woodman, all high school grads from Franklin High--who are--and aren't--like their mythical counterparts in the Wizard of Oz. Unlike their counterparts, though, there is no wicked witch, per se. There are personal demons aplenty, though, and they struggle with real world problems and have to find it within themselves to step up and take control of their lives.
The centerpiece of this kaleidoscopic tale is Mr. Wizardo, their late guidance counselor, who through guile and homespun wisdom, sets them on a path not to the Emerald City, but to one of betterment. At his funeral, they experience love and loss and remembrance, and not only come to terms with how their lives panned out, but also how they managed to make the changes necessary to continue their lives. They're far from caricatures, and as far from perfection as possible, but they come across as real people.
These sharp characterizations succeed due to the excellent skills of the author. Ms. Pasco knows how to get into the minds and hearts of those characters she creates. In lesser hands, this wouldn't have worked. Under her nimble fingers, it works, and it works very well.
Highly recommended for the expertise word craftsmanship that transcends the ordinary.
I am ashamed to say that I have had this book for quite a while without reading it. I purchased the Anthology where it originally appeared on the day it was released. However, despite the fact that I love Eva Pasco's style, I never even looked at it. Now that she has published it separately, I finally bought it and opened the cover. I see now, I am the one who lost out.
This story is fantastic! Miss Pasco has included all the characters from The Wizard of Oz in her enchanting tale. From the wizard himself to the Wicked Witch of the East in ruby slippers, everyone has their role to play in this small Kansas town. Her eye for detail reigns supreme as she bends the winds of fate to her will.
A Story with Universal Appeal
I’ve just finished reading Eva Pasco’s thought-provoking novella, “Mr. Wizardo.” I am a fan of Ms. Pasco’s work, and her latest effort heightened my appreciation. At the beginning, we meet a disparate group of people as they individually make their way to attend the funeral of a well-loved teacher and guidance counselor (Mr. Wizardo).
Each has a particular moment of time when the good teacher managed to turn their lives around or revealed a significant truth... and maybe even saved a life or two. The story could be seen as a parable of the Peeta Mellark quote “Our lives are not measured in years, but are measured in the lives of people we touch around us.” If such is the case, Oscar Wizardo’s life was a major triumph.
The author deftly weaves the characters and their stories into the fabric of her tale, gradually uncovering the major breakthrough this intuitive teacher was able to achieve with each of the main characters during their formative years.
The cast of characters are believable and fully rounded. A difficult but essential feat in a novella. I wished often as I read that I’d met this man…only to recall this was a work of fiction. The author turns this tale of the end of one man’s life, and his devotee’s resultant grief, into a cause for celebration—of a life well lived. Although described as “women’s fiction,” the appeal is far reaching and universal.
A fast-paced and quick read, pick this one up as a favor to yourself. Great job, Ms. Pasco!
I haven't seen this novella by you before. And I haven't read it, myself, but based on these reviews that I see in your five-star rating, I think you are hitting home runs with your writing!
Kudos, break a leg, and whatever!
Ron