
Elphie
A Wicked Childhood
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Narrated by:
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Edoardo Ballerini
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By:
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Gregory Maguire
What happened to young Elphaba before her witchy powers took hold in Wicked? Almost 30 years after the publication of the original novel, for the first time Gregory Maguire reveals the story of prickly young Elphie, the future Wicked Witch of the West—setting the stage for the blockbuster international phenomenon that is Wicked: The Musical.
Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, will grow to have a feisty and somewhat uncompromising character in adult life. But she is always a one-off, from her infancy; Elphie is the riveting coming-of-age story of a very peculiar and relatable young girl.
Young Elphie is shaped and molded by the behaviors of her promiscuous mother, Melena, and her pious father, Frex. She suffers ordinary childhood jealousies when her sister, saintly Nessarose, and brother, junior felon Shell, arrive. She first encounters the mistreatment of the Animal populations of Oz, which live adjacent to but not intertwined with human settlements, haunted by a Monkey and receiving aid from Dwarf Bears. She thrashes through her first bruising attempts at friendship, a possible lifeline from her tricky family life. And she gleans the benefits of an education, haphazard though it must be—until she arrives at the doors of Shiz University, about to meet the radiant creature that is Galinda.
Elphie is destined to be a witch; she bears the markings from childhood—most evidently in her green skin but more obscurely and profoundly in her cunning and perhaps amoral behaviors, as she seeks to make do, to slip by, to sneak out, to endure, and to aspire.
©2024 Gregory Maguire (P)2024 HarperCollins PublishersListeners also enjoyed...




















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The narrator helped through his performance.
I thoroughly loved it. We’ll hope future for performances of the story are not lessened as some of his stories have been.
Fantastic, as always
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Back story was important.
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a good addition to the wicked series
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A surprise fifth installment is added, exactly 30 years after the publishing of WICKED!
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Amazing
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Underwhelming
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Wickedly Wonderful
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Just Okay
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For someone who loves the books, this is perfect
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The writing is both heartfelt and imaginative, capturing the emotional weight of growing up in a society that labels you before you even understand yourself. From family struggles to her first brushes with magic and injustice, Elphie’s journey feels deeply human and relatable.
What I appreciated most was how the story reframed the myth. Elphie isn’t wicked—she’s layered, vulnerable, brave, and brilliant. This book is a wonderful companion for fans of Wicked or The Wizard of Oz, and even if you’re new to Elphaba’s world, this makes a powerful entry point.
Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys character-driven fantasy with a strong emotional core.
Elpheba life
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