In the world of fiction, the good witch of the south is a character from the famous novel "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" written by L. Frank Baum. She is known by the name Glinda, the Witch of the South, or Glinda the Good Witch. Glinda is one of the four witches ruling the Land of Oz, with her jurisdiction being the south. Glinda is depicted as a beautiful, wise, and powerful sorceress. She is kind-hearted and acts as a friend and protector of Dorothy, the protagonist of the story.
Blog Archives
TC – The inspiration for the story came from the dust jacket cover art. I had just finished my memoir, Roads Over Brown County, which took me two years to write, and I was playing around with a fairy design and thought it would be a fantastic image for a book cover. I keep thinking how nice a fantasy book cover it would make but didn’t know what kind of story it should be, and I didn’t have a title. For some unknown reason, while I was working on the cover art, I was also reading Frank L. Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz again.
After I added tattoos on the fairy’s arm and some glowing orbs behind her, it came to me. I knew exactly who this fairy witch was. It made perfect sense; she was a good fairy witch, Glinda’s daughter, the Good Witch of the South. I instantly knew what I wanted to write.
For reasons I can’t explain, the first chapter I wrote in my journal was the epilogue. Everything else about the plot instantly fell into place.
What were some ideas that you wanted to keep from the classic Wizard of Oz and what were some new ideas you wanted to introduce?
TC – That’s a good question. I decided to combine aspects from Baum’s original book and the 1939 MGM movie with Judy Garland. Not many realize that in Baum’s books, Glinda was the Good Witch of the South, or also known as Glinda the Good, and not the Good Witch of the North. For fun, I decided to give Glinda the last name Glinda Goodwitch. I also decided to have the main characters from Baun’s book and the movie, The Scarecrow, The Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion play a part in my book. I also thought it would be fun to add subtle echoes from the movie within my book.
One of my favorite moments in the film is at the end when Dorothy is back home in her own bed, and she is telling her family and friends about Oz. I wanted to capture this iconic moment in the book.
So when the main character, Samantha Goodwitch, Glinda’s daughter, is recuperating from a terrible injury from fighting the vicious red alpha dragon. She wakes up in an unfamiliar bed and looks up at her companions, and tells them about a dream she’d been having. She points a trembling finger at each one and says, “You, and you, and you . . . . . and you were there.” I also had the new Wicked Witch taunt her victims as she did in the movie, using some of the barbs the Wicked Witch of the West used. All of these small touches made the story special and fun for me when I was writing. It made me smile.
I added one piece of imagery at the beginning of the book when Sam is crouched on the roof of the castle looking out across the land of Oz that has been with me since I was a child. I am almost sure it started from the very first time I watched the movie. It happens when the Munchkins escort Dorothy to the center of Munchkin City to show her the Yellow Brick Road. Where the Yellow Brick Road spirals out from the center of the city, there is another spiraling brick road, but the bricks are red. That always fascinated me, and I have ever wondered what kind of adventures one would find following the Red Brick Road. To this day, when I watch the movie, I whisper, “Dorothy, take the Red Brick Road.”
Sam is an intriguing character that I enjoyed watching develop. What were some obstacles you felt were important to the characters development?
Mainly believing in herself and proving herself to her mother, to her sister, and to everyone she loved. Every time I start a new book project, I struggle with it, from my children’s picture books to my novels – especially my novels. So, I say to everyone, “Believe!”
Do you plan to write other stories within the land of Oz?
When I first started writing this Ozarian tale, I said to myself, “What am I think writing a book based on a classic like Oz!” Doing another book? Well, I will tell you this: I have already written an outline. But to be honest, the two years it took me to write The Good Witch of the South knocked the breath out of me. I am not sure I have it in me to write another adventure in the Land of Oz. But one never knows.
I have to admit. Now that this Good Witch story is finished, I find myself genuinely missing my daily visits to the Oz.
Author Links: GoodReads | Amazon
There is a darkness brewing in the west and alarming rumors of dragons and an evil enchantress building an army to overthrow the Great Head of Oz. A demon fairy witch the Land of Oz hasn’t seen since Dorothy Gale destroyed the Wicked Witch of the West.
Soon to be sixteen-year-old Samantha Goodwitch, the daughter of Glinda, the Good Witch of the South, knows she is disobeying her mother’s wishes when she leaves the castle to search for dragons, but she’d rather have an adventure than follow her mother’s command. When one of the Shadow Mountain Cats, Akasha, unexpectedly saves her life, the adventure turns deadly and a friendship grows between them.
But the rumors soon become real, and the freedom that had captured the hearts of the citizens of Oz is quickly unraveling. As the tensions mount and battles begin, Sam and Akasha find others who join them in the last Great War of Oz, to fight against the darkness that is devouring a once peaceful land.
*** A spectacular Ozarian adventure in the land of Oz ***
THE GOOD WITCH OF THE SOUTH
A well-developed fantasy spinoff that will transport teen readers.
War simmers in the land of Oz in this YA adventure based on the events in L. Frank Baum’s classic fantasy.
In Quadling Country, Samantha Goodwitch is the 15-year-old daughter of Glinda the Good. Eight years ago, her father, Lucius, disappeared in a green explosion; her stepsister, Elle, is the offspring of Lucius and the long-deceased Wicked Witch of the West. Messengers from Winkie Country arrive and deliver a scroll; Glinda learns of an “enchantress” who’s become Queen of the Winkies and wants to control of the City of Emeralds and the Wizard of Oz’s throne. Glinda decides to visit Rumpart, King of the Winkies, with a contingent of soldiers, including Elle. Sam wants to join them, but Glinda says she must guard the throne. With a sword she received for her 16th birthday, Sam decides to challenge the dragons said to menace nearby villages. She rehabilitates her father’s injured warhorse, researches dragons in the library, and creates a fireproof salve in preparation. She also begins having visions that tell her to “Find the Crow.” Will she, like the famous Dorothy Gale, find friends to help on her quest? Bartlett effectively builds on Baum’s series, which began with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900), while also paying homage to other classic fantasy adventures, such as J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit (1937). Readers new to the genre may find the first third of the story too placid, but solid worldbuilding establishes Sam as a magical character who can even fly but who still needs guidance. Overall, the book will be a treat for those who are familiar with previous Oz tales; Sam gradually assembles her own helpers, including Akasha the warrior cat, but Baum’s original heroes eventually do turn up, and warm nostalgia will greet fans as Sam sees “the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion” appear as “small specks on the hillside.” Although the protagonist learns a lesson (“everyone you love is all that matters”), it proves to be a costly one as the narrative unfurls. A grand surprise helps set up a potential sequel.
A well-developed fantasy spinoff that will transport teen readers.
Pub Date: Sept. 20, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-73390-862-7
Page Count: 354
Publisher: Sandhill Publishers
Good Witch of the South
outfit details – cardigan: Forever 21 // dress: Charlotte Russe // necklace: Swarovski Crystals // belt: Armani Exchange // ring + hair clip: vintage // purse: LeSportsac (buy here) // earrings: Zales // shoes: Report // glasses: Derek Cardigan (buy here) // wand: Disney Store (buy here)
Oz: The Great and Powerful was a bit of a let down for me. I’m a fan of many Oz related things, but I feel like Disney could’ve done SO. MUCH. MORE. Ugh! It wasn’t particularly terrible, just disappointing with its lack of character development on major characters. *cough*Wicked Witch*cough* It was entertaining enough for me to watch it a second time, though I have to say I mostly wanted to see Finely, the adorable flying monkey voiced by Zach Braff, again! He’s seriously the best thing in the movie. And China Girl is super cute as well. I watched it last week with Tim and then a few days later with Shanice and Jen. Before the movie came out, the girls and I talked about how fun it would be to go to the theater dressed up like the three witches in the film a la Disneybound. I already had the wand, so Glinda was my designated witch. I was inspired by the last outfit she wore in the movie since it had lots of pink, unlike the other two gowns she wore which were mostly white, gold, and silver.
Sooo… this isn’t exactly what I wore when I watched the movie with the two girls. I just made a couple of changes, like my vintage rhinestone clip and silver belt. I originally wore a white rose in my hair and a skinny brown belt. Just a few switches can really help change an ensemble! Plus the glitziness of the clip reflects Glinda’s crown much more than a white rose. I also tried to incorporate some of the elements from not just Glinda herself, like with the mixing of gold and silver accessories, but also from other characters/scenery with my my LeSportsac x Disney It’s a Small World purse featuring adorable little Dutch children that kind of look like Munchkins, and my big yellow flower ring 🙂
Would I recommend watching Oz: The Great and Poweful? Sure. Like I said, I found it entertaining, and if you’re okay with movies that don’t have amazing plot/character development, then you should be okay! It’s visually gorgeous and it has its good moments (Finely! Oh, and Michelle Williams made a good Glinda). But I dare you to try and not want to punch James Franco in the face. He was so schmoozy!
She is kind-hearted and acts as a friend and protector of Dorothy, the protagonist of the story. Glinda first appears in the story after the house from Kansas lands in Munchkinland and kills the Wicked Witch of the East. She explains to Dorothy that she is in the Land of Oz and advises her to seek the help of the Wizard in the Emerald City to find her way back home.
Throughout the course of the novel, Glinda aids Dorothy and her companions in their quest to defeat the Wicked Witch of the West and find the means to return home. She provides guidance and magical assistance when needed, often using her powers to solve dilemmas or protect the group. Glinda also reveals important information to the characters, such as the secret of the Silver Shoes and the true nature of the Wizard. In addition to her positive qualities, Glinda is admired for her leadership skills and her role in maintaining peace and harmony in the Land of Oz. She is highly respected by her subjects and is seen as a symbol of hope and goodness. Her personality and actions align with the archetype of the "good witch" commonly seen in fairy tales, where she acts as a mentor and guide to the hero or heroine. In popular culture, Glinda the Good Witch has remained an iconic character, often portrayed as beautiful and graceful in various adaptations of the Oz stories. She symbolizes the power of goodness, friendship, and magic. Whether in literature or on the big screen, Glinda continues to captivate audiences with her enchanting presence and her role as the good witch of the south..
Reviews for "The Good Witch of the South: Her Role in Dorothy's Journey"
1. Alex - 1 star
I am truly disappointed with "Who is the good witch of the south". The plot was incredibly weak and predictable. I guessed the ending within the first few chapters. The characters lacked depth and were poorly developed, making it difficult to connect with any of them. The writing style was unremarkable and lacked the creativity and storytelling that I was hoping for. Overall, I found this book to be a complete waste of time and would not recommend it.
2. Sarah - 2 stars
I had high hopes for "Who is the good witch of the south", but it fell short of my expectations. The pacing was off, with the story dragging in some parts and rushing through others. I wanted to feel engaged with the story, but I found myself disconnecting from it. The dialogue was awkward and unnatural, making it difficult to fully understand the interactions between the characters. Additionally, the world-building was lacking, leaving me confused about the setting and its rules. Overall, while the concept had potential, the execution fell flat.
3. Michael - 1 star
"Who is the good witch of the south" was a complete disappointment. The writing was riddled with grammatical errors and poor sentence structure, which made it difficult to follow the story. The plot was confusing and lacked coherence, leaving me questioning the author's intentions. The characters were one-dimensional and lacked any depth or complexity. The book had so much potential, but it was wasted on a poorly executed story. I would not recommend this book to anyone.