Wicked by Gregory Maguire (2005, Compact Disc)

I believe Wicked is the most in depth and well written book Maguire has written. It chronicles the life of the Wicked Witch of the West from her perspective and her relationships with other well known characters from Oz including the Wicked Witch of the East, Glinda and of course Dorothy. These relationships are not what you would expect. For example she is actually friends with Glinda (they were roommates in college). Like Maguire's other spins of classic fairytales Wicked paints a much darker picture of Oz and all of the characters than what is portrayed in the classic Wizard of Oz story. You will see the progression of the "witch" Elphaba from innocent child to unlikely heroine to a bitter and "wicked" adult and how each of her life experiences changed her. By the end of the book you may even find yourself feeling sorry for Elphaba, which is something I didn't really expect. You may find yourself asking was she truly wicked? Or just misunderstood? This would be a great book for a discussion group.