‘Aunt Jane’s Nieces’ is the first in a series of ten children’s stories by ‘Oz’ author L. Frank Baum. Wealthy elderly lady Jane Merrick is trying to decide how best to divide up her estate in her will. Childless, she invites her three nieces Louise Merrick, Elizabeth de Graf and Patsy Doyle to come and stay with her, so she can decide if any of them are worthy of her estate and her wealth. There are plenty of mishaps and adventures as the girls learn to get along with each other, as well as their difficult Aunt Jane, as they adjust to a new way of life. Fans of Louisa May Alcott’s ‘Little Women’ will enjoy this captivating series of stories.
Lyman Frank Baum (1856 – 1919) was a prolific and well-known American writer. He is best known for his famous series of modern fairy tales set in the imaginary land of Oz. The first of the books, ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’ is widely considered to be the first true American fairy tale and was the basis for the hugely popular 1939 classic musical ‘The Wizard of Oz’ starring Judy Garland. Born and raised in New York, Baum held a range of jobs including as a poultry farmer, clerk, and storekeeper before pursuing his talent for writing at the age of 41. He wrote 14 novels in the Oz series, as well as over 40 other novels and over 80 short stories. He died in California in 1919.