"Hot on the heels of the first part of the film adaptation of the musical Wicked, a new prequel about Elphaba's childhood is on its way. . . . Fans of Elphaba and of Maguire's work will be thrilled to once again venture into Oz and discover new characters, cities, and adventures besides. . . . Elphie is an emotional coming-of-age story that thrums with injustice, regret, and the complicated characters who made a young girl into the serious, stubborn witch destined to take on all of Oz." - Booklist (starred review)

"Maguire's expansive novels permit Elphie to express 50 shades of green-just as his brilliant reimagining of Oz as a cohesive world, replete with diverse cultures, religions and histories, enables him to explore contemporary social and political issues alongside perennial questions of morality and spirituality. . . . Elphie concludes as Elphaba embarks on her own prickly path of self-discovery far from the yellow brick road, in the process revealing an Oz that is uniquely Maguire's." - Wall Street Journal

"Maguire enchants with his whimsical narrative voice and the detailed wonders of the world he's spent so many years playing in. This is a must-read for fans of both the original novel and the Broadway musical." - Publishers Weekly

Wicked superfans rejoice! Nearly 30 years after the release of the original Wicked novel, Gregory Maguire is telling the story of young Elphie-the future Wicked Witch of the West. Elphie is a coming-of-age tale about a unique girl. Shaped by her complex family and early life in Oz, Elphie's childhood is a bumpy road that leads her to the doors of Shiz University. Elphie is destined to be a witch-and this is her origin story. - Woman's Day Magazine