Book excerpt: First published in 1907 under the pseudonym John Estes Cooke, ‘Tamawaca Folks’ is a humorous semi-autobiographical novel by the famous author L. Frank Baum. Based on real events in a Michigan resort town where Baum had a summer house, the story follows the exploits of Kansas City lawyer Jarrod who comes to spend the summer in the resort. He discovers the developers are corrupt frauds and sets about organising the residents to oppose their wicked ways and gain control of the town. 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.