Wicked started with author Gregory Maguire. His 1995 prequel to L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz spawned the long-running musical, two film adaptations (including a star turn by Ariana Grande), multiple sequel books, and new prequels centered on Wicked’s leading ladies.
Galinda: A Charmed Childhood follows the Good Witch from childhood (back when she still had the “Ga” in her name) up to departure for Shiz University. Nothing groundbreaking is revealed, but just because this novel capitalizes on the franchise doesn’t mean Galinda isn’t harmless fun. Maguire’s latest installment is a quick, fluffy read for Wicked fans—especially those missing Grande during her recent hiatus (the book is partially dedicated to her).
Life in hilltop shambles
Eight-year-old Galinda really wants to win the local dance competition, though attention from her parents would be nice too. Her mother’s family once had money before a natural disaster wiped out the family estate. Now the little girl lives in hilltop shambles with three older brothers, a grouchy grandmother, and her often-absent parents.
Forbidden from going to school, Galinda fills her time with two cats, an imaginary friend (her mirror reflection), and weekly dance classes for company.
As Galinda grows, so do her suspicions about her relatives. Why is her mother constantly traveling? Why do the authorities keep showing up to interrogate her father—he’s in charge of building up the railroad; isn’t that good? And is Galinda’s grandmother, who gives the little girl a pair of gloves that take her dancing to a whole new level, actually a witch?
Little Galinda values beauty amid the ugliness of her home life, but she’s also curious about the world beyond the hilltop. She may not be smart, but as her enterprising con man father elaborates, “You’re clever. You’re clever enough not to confuse the two.” These core qualities, along with Galinda’s single-minded scheming and style-over-substance obsession, take root in her formative years, along with a desire for a real friend.
Despite an uninteresting subplot involving the girl’s oldest brother and an amorous barmaid, Maguire’s latest prequel is an entertaining journey that offers insight into the pink-loving witch for whom popularity is paramount. Much like the Glinda she grows up to be, Galinda isn’t particularly smart. But like all of Maguire’s reimagined worlds, it is clever.
Fast facts: ‘Galinda: A Charmed Childhood’
Galinda: A Charmed Childhood won’t redraw the map of Oz, but Maguire’s fluffy origin story makes a persuasive case that the Good Witch’s talent for popularity was homegrown.
- Galinda: A Charmed Childhood by Gregory Maguire
- Publication date: September 29, 2026 (William Morrow)
- 272 pages
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