Ruby's Slippers

Dottie Meyers, 35, is a real-life Dorothy Gale living with her little black dog on a small farm in Kansas that's about to be hit by a tornado. Knocked unconscious by the storm, she awakes three months later at a recovery facility in California where her father, last seen when she was four, has left her a mysterious pair of ruby slippers.

But unlike The Wizard of Oz, this isn't a dream, and the yellow brick road journey that Dottie and three friends are about to take from Los Angeles to Seattle in search of her dad will show the realities of a broken childhood. More importantly, everything connected to those sparkling red shoes will prove to Dottie that there's only one true wonder worker behind the so-called curtain who can heal her wounds and prepare the heart for love.

Ruby's Slippers by Leanna Ellis is a haunting story of a woman's quest to know her earthly father and in doing so discovers her Heavenly Father. Dottie Meyers has lived her entire life on the same small Kansas farm where her mother and grandmother were born. Her sister Abigail fled their small town for the bright lights of Hollywood and only returns to the farm when she wants something. So Dottie isn't completely surprised to find Abby searching through their mother's things during one of her visits and then leave without a word the following morning. She doesn't have time to consider the mystery, because a tornado whips through the farm destroying everything and leaving Dottie in a three month long coma. When she wakes up, she sees things in surprisingly bright colors, starts humming songs she can't remember the names to, and finds a pair of ruby slippers by her bed that were left by her long-lost father. Dottie takes the slippers and goes on a quest to find him and to discover why he abandoned their family over thirty years ago. On the way, she picks up three friends with journeys of their own.

Dottie Meyers and Dorothy Gale from the Wizard of Oz have many things in common. They both own a little black dog and they both live on a farm in Kansas. Just like Dorothy; Dottie gets knocked unconscious by some debris during a tornado. Unfortunately Dottie does not end up in the wonderful world of Oz. Dottie instead wakes up in a nursing home in California. Dottie receives a mysterious package. Inside the package is a pair of ruby red slippers. The slippers were left by Dottie’s father. Someone who she has not seen since she was a little girl. Dottie decides to go on a road trip to find her father. She is accompanied by some really wild and crazy companions.

I don’t know where to start. There are so many things I liked about this book…from the beginning, everything in the middle, till the very end. Who I enjoyed the most through was Sophia. She is a little old lady that Dottie meets in the nursing home and one of Dottie’s traveling buddies. She had this great sense of humor but watch out for her driving. Another fun element I liked about this story was Ms. Ellis’s innovative way on how she incorporated all the characters from the Wizard of Oz into Ruby’s Slippers. Leanna Ellis proves with this book that there is no place like home. - Cheryl-Reviewer book blog http://cherylsbooknook.blogspot.com/

It’s a modern-day Wizard of Oz with Cinderella undertones. But this is no fairy tale or fantasy, with magical resolutions and guaranteed happy endings. It’s a deeply moving story of hurt and healing, of love and loss, of hope and redemption. Immensely entertaining, it is chock full of wit, grit, humor and heartache. Truly unforgettable, Ruby’s Slippers has the potential to be a classic.

Don’t miss this one! - My Book Bag, Delia’s Reviews, Interviews and Writing News Ellis very cleverly plays on the conceit of the title. The slippers are supposedly from The Wizard of Oz, and several themes from the movie are used throughout the book, including Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. I found myself looking for specific plot elements from the movie and was completely delighted with how Ellis used some of them and twisted others making them all her own. The book never becomes a parody or silly; Ellis handles the similarities carefully to please fans of the movie without annoying anyone who isn't. While Dottie doesn't exactly discover there's no place like home, she learns what the word really means. I loved how Ellis writing reflects whatever Dottie is going through, from the no-nonsense style in Kansas to almost dreamlike when she first wakes up to clarity as Dottie makes personal discoveries. This powerful novel brought a smile to my face. - www.christysbookblog.com

Average Rating:

8 of 11 Reviews Showing:(View All Reviews)

Reviewed by Megan (Pittsburgh, PA), February 03, 2010

New author to me, Leanna Ellis, was a pleasant surprise. This is not a book that I would have picked up myself. It was given to me, and I am so glad it was. I would categorize it as Christian Chick Lit. It is a fun and easy read; however, there was much more substance than I expected. This novel could have been extremely cheesy; but a little cheddar never hurt anyone. I actually enjoyed the parallels to the Wizard of Oz, especially within the characters. Dottie Meyers is injured in a tornado in Kansas and wakes up in a nursing home where she had been given ruby slippers by a father she never knew. This leads her on a journey: a journey toward family and truth. Along the way she picks up friends who each add something to Dottie's life she didn't even realize she was missing. I love the moments of Sophia mentoring Dottie, and I was moved by the moments of realization and reconciliation. One of my favorite moments was in a conversation about prayer. Dottie asks "what if I only have complaints?" and the response: "You think He doesn't know them already?" They continue to talk about prayer and how it is about our relationship with our Father. She does meet her biological dad, but more importantly she gets to know her heavenly Father. In the end, this is who she wants to share with her sister. This was a not only a fun book, but also a well thought out one with a beautiful testimony of Dottie's personal growth. It worked for me. http://inspiredbyfiction.blogspot.com

Reviewed by Cara Putman (Indiana), June 29, 2009

Dottie Meyers has been content with life on the small family farm in Kansas -- but then it's all swept away by -- you guessed it -- a tornado. In this twist on the Wizard of Oz, Dottie is given a pair of ruby slippers as she recovers and must decide whether to track down the giver and who she can trust on her journey. She begins her journey a woman isolated from all she knows and loves. But as the journey progresses she must choose whether to remain aloof, or open her heart to the people around her as well as fully embrace her heavenly Father. While the spiritual thread is woven throughout the story, it is a natural part of the story's tapestry. Without it, the book would fall flat. With it, I felt a connection with Dottie and her journey of discovery. Ultimately, she'll discover that life is so much more than a pair of ruby slippers. This was a book I enjoyed reading with every page.

Reviewed by Tammy Yount (Granite Falls, NC), June 09, 2009

Good story...almost enjoyed the symbolism referring to the Wizard of Oz movie and trying to make sure I caught all of it as I did the "read"!!

Reviewed by Phillis Mitchell (Katy, TX), June 02, 2009

I like this author--cute story but does have depth and hope--interesting thoughts on families--that families are not always the ones you are born into--but the friends that you bond, heal and care for.

Reviewed by Jennifer AlLee (Las Vegas, NV), May 22, 2009

Leanna Ellis is one of the more original voices in women’s fiction, and she proves it in her latest novel, Ruby’s Slippers. After a tornado flattens her farm, Dottie Meyers awakens from a coma to find she’s literally not in Kansas anymore. Admitted to a West Coast recovery facility by her selfish sister, Dottie finds her life is as much of a whirlwind as the storm. But the discovery of a pair of ruby slippers left at her bedside by her absentee father sends Dottie, her friends, and her little dog, Otto, on a journey she’ll never forget. In Ruby’s Slippers, Ms. Ellis pays homage to the classic film, The Wizard of Oz, with a dash of Cinderella for good measure. This is a charming tale of mending broken dreams, people who are more than they seem, and finding the meaning for true happiness within your heart

Reviewed by Delia Latham (Okmulgee, OK), May 20, 2009

Dottie (Dorothy) Meyers lives on a small Kansas farm, alone but for her little dog Toto – oops ... Otto. When a tornado rips through her property, it not only demolishes the home she’s lived in all her life, but knocks the middle-aged maiden out cold. She awakens three months later at Rainbow’s End, an assisted living facility in California. Near her bed are a pair of ruby slippers – a gift from the father she hasn’t seen since she was four. Haunted by childhood memories and a longing to meet the Daddy she barely remembers, Dottie sets out on a journey to Seattle (the Emerald City). Traveling with her are three friends: Sophia, whose mastectomy left her constantly rearranging the “stuffing” in strategic places on her body. A free thinker, she jokes that her son sometimes thinks she’s lost her brain; Tim, Dottie’s elderly uncle by marriage. He gave his whole heart to Elizabeth, who’s younger brother is Dottie’s father. When Elizabeth died, Tim thought his heart died with her; Leo, Sophia’s wild and woolly son, who lives by himself in a cabin in the woods. He looks fearsome, and he makes a lot of noise, but Dottie soon discovers that a part of Leo is nothing more than a scared little boy who mourns the absence of a father in his life, just as she does. The little group learns a lot of important lessons about themselves and each other on their way to Seattle. Hurt and disillusioned by her father’s abandonment, will Dottie ever again trust another man with her heart? In search of her Daddy’s affection, will she fail to see the flawless love her heavenly Father has offered all along? It’s a modern-day Wizard of Oz with Cinderella undertones. But this is no fairy tale or fantasy, with magical resolutions and guaranteed happy endings. It’s a moving story of hurt and healing, of love and loss, of hope and redemption. Immensely entertaining, it is chock full of wit, grit, humor and heartache. Truly unforgettable, Ruby’s Slippers has the potential to be a classic.

Reviewed by Jane Squires (Wasola), May 10, 2009

I picked this book to read not knowing how personal it would become. Tornadoes and severe storms hit this area while I was reading it. As Dottie deals with problems because she never knew her Father and finds a different story than she knew, she also realizes that her family idea is different than she expected. She finds a whole new family while she is recovering from being hurt in tornado and searching for her father. Also she is brought closer to her sister. The ending of this story was different than I was expecting but a total delight. Leanne's book was so uplifting and encouraging. It took me through some problems I was facing and helped me to face them.

Reviewed by Stephanie (North Carolina), April 15, 2009

I was looking forward to reading this and preordered it, a decision I definitely do not regret. The Wizard of Oz is one of my favorite movies, so I really appreciated all the tie-ins (especially those delicious ruby red shoes!) However, I also liked the way Leanna didn't stick directly to the original plot (i.e., the Scarecrow is a girl, the Wicked Witch is not necessarily wicked). I also appreciated the fact that the spiritual element is really subtle, leaving Dottie, Leo, and others a lot of room to grow and really get to know God, instead of relying on the formulaic "everyone must pray the Sinner's Prayer by the end of the book." Some of the scenes felt a bit slow, but otherwise, this was a wonderful journey down a brand new yellow brick road.

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