In Return to Oz, George shares humorous and sometimes poignant stories about his descent from childhood into adulthood. He remembers a loving but colorful family of six, of which he alone remains. His fascinating stories bring each of those family members to life. A continuation of Growing Up in Oz, George remembers the joys of growing up in Baltimore in the 1950s and 1960s: being lost in the Big Apple as a young child, the summer bells that sent all children running, spending a night in the House on Haunted Hill, encountering Big Foot at his school, the worst college interview imaginable, buying a complete college wardrobe for ten dollars, his dog that became a movie star, the disappearing Thanksgiving dinner, and the promise that got him through basic training. The stories document the importance of family, the treasure that grandparents represent, and the need for a sense of humor in confronting the rigors of growing up. He recounts a more innocent time in our country when the storm clouds of change were on the horizon. George demonstrates how a family is more than a sum of its parts and shows us how those lost still live on in us as we celebrate their lives, not mourn their loss.
