Aunt Jane's Nieces on the Ranch

In the eighth instalment in the ‘Aunt Jane’ series of novels by L. Frank Baum, we join Uncle John, Patsy and Elizabeth as they head to California to visit their cousin Louise and her husband Arthur Weldon, who have just had their first child – a little girl named Jane. Displeased with Louise’s choice of nurse for the newborn, Uncle John takes it upon himself to hire a new nurse who travels with them to California. The two nurses take an instant dislike to one another, and when they both disappear one day along with baby Jane, the search is on. A tense tale from the prolific author.

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.