For good

On Friday night, I attended the New York Library Association Gala. I was at the bar, about to treat myself to a ginger ale, when I saw a familiar, handsome face. An author! A famous author! Gregory Maguire! It's really him! I didn't actually say these things, but despite my extreme shyness around those I admire, I was able to introduce myself, shake his hand, and tell him how much his writing means to me. People will tell you he is charming and accommodating I found that to be absolutely true. But behind his twinkling smile is the brain that imagined "Wicked". Maguire took a tale that every American, for many generations, thought they understood and stood it on its head! He taught us, while thoroughly entertaining us, to look beneath the surface to try to figure out where the truth really lies. None of us is who we appear to be.

Reading "Wicked" is a series of "ahas". When Maguire was approached about making the book into a movie, which then turned into a musical, he did what very few authors are confident enough to do; he let the producers have free reign. The result, to me, is a wonderful romp through the looking glass. The book, as well as the musical, manage to get the reader/viewer thinking about far more than Oz. Just who IS that wizard? And why are certain creatures being silenced, or worse? Maguire was teaching his readers lessons about hatred, prejudice, and telling a generation who may not know about Nazi Germany to start focusing on the lessons of the past. Both the book and the musical deserve more than one look.

Another book that turns our assumptions inside out is "Those Who Save Us", by Jenna Blum. Blum tells us the story of Trudy, the daughter of a German war bride. Far more compelling, however, is the story of Trudy's mother, Anna, and how she managed to survive World War II in Wiemar. Anna is not the woman her daughter believes her to be. And Trudy is absolutely not the woman she believes she is. As in "Wicked", twists and turns take the reader on a thought-provoking journey through good and evil.

When I took my niece to see "Wicked" in December, I didn't want to spoil the story for her by giving anything away. I simply watched her face register delight each time one of the wonderful secrets was revealed. I feel the same way about "Those Who Save Us". I would love to tell you all more about the plot, but to do so would ruin your experience.

Most of us go through life thinking we can tell if a person is good or evil. Perhaps we keep ourselves comforted with these clear cut ideas. But life is not simple; people are filled with the capacity to show great love and kindness as well as terrible cruelty. "Wicked" and "Those Who Save Us" will challenge you, entertain you, and keep you wondering long after you have read them. Perhaps, like the witches in "Wicked", you will be changed "for good".