WAS is the story of Dorothy. Orphaned as a child in the 1870s, she goes to live in Kansas with her Aunty Em and Uncle Henry. They face drought and poverty. They face each other. Alone, abused, Dorothy meets an itinerant actor called Frank and inspires a masterpiece.

From the settling of the West and the heyday of the Hollwywood studios to the glittering megalopolis of modern Los Angeles, WAS is the story of all our childhoods.

"Every once in awhile I remember just how f***ing good Was by Geoff Ryman is, and I get all sniffly all over again. I wish more people read it. You should be more people" - Catherynne M. Valente