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Hard Road

by Barbara D'Amato

Although I haven't yet had the pleasure of reading any of Barbara D'Amato's other novels or plays, this book attracted me right away by its cover. Hard Road pertains to the Yellow Brick Road leading to the Emerald City in Oz, and the book is about the murders that occur at a fictional Oz festival. Actual Oz festivals are held fairly often in Chicago parks and their environs, because the author of the Oz books, L. Frank Baum, lived there, but such festivals aren't held in the park described. Even before The Wizard of Oz movie was released by MGM in 1939 I was an avid Oz fan (yes, I'm that old!), so it was natural I'd want to read anything placed in a such a delightful setting. I devoured all of L. Frank Baum's Oz books as soon as I discovered them as a child. I especially remember the librarian who berated me (much to my astonishment) for returning three Oz books the same day I took them out. I'd read them all, and wanted more!

Hard Road is a Cat Marsala mystery. Cat is Barbara D'Amato's protagonist, an investigative reporter who is taking her six-year-old nephew, Jeremy, to the Oz festival. After putting Jeremy on a number of Oz-related rides and filling him full of goodies, they approach the Emerald City structure where they're to meet Jeremy's father, Barry. Barry Marsala is both one of Cat's brothers and the events coordinator who made the Oz festival happen. The July day which up until that time was so full of pleasure suddenly turns into a horror movie as Cat and Jeremy both witness a murder which looks as if Barry was responsible - followed quickly by another murder and gunshots aimed at Jeremy and Cat.

Tom Plumly, the victim, was head of the Oz festival security. Cat and Jeremy first see him with three other men - E. T. Taubman, the festival lighting specialist, Edmond Pottle, banker and festival backer, and Larry Mazzanovich, contractor. Then the murdered man runs to Cat's brother - and immediately falls down dead. Honesty compels Cat to tell the police exactly what she's seen - which immediately causes her family to revile her. However, Cat is sure her brother couldn't have murdered Tom Plumly, even though all the facts seem to point that way.

The remainder of Hard Road is devoted to Cat's perusal of the three men she saw with Tom Plumly just before his meeting with Barry. Cat is positive one of them must be the actual murderer. She investigates the backgrounds of each man to discover any political or social reasons they may have harbored to finish him off. The 'how' of the initial murder leads to the 'why' - and Cat finally faces the killer, who has every intention of adding her to his growing list of intentionally departed witnesses. Cat uses one of the murderer's weaknesses to her own advantage, however, and the killer is himself inadvertently killed in the process.

As much as I enjoyed Hard Road, I couldn't help but wonder at the rather obvious circumstances which are omitted. For instance - surely someone at a crowded festival would have seen the individual with a gun shooting at Cat and Jeremy? Yet, according to Barbara D'Amato, no one knew where the shots were coming from. Hopefully Ms. D'Amato's other novels are less contrived in that respect!


Hard Road contains an essay at the end of the book, titled The Wooden Gargoyles: Evil in Oz, by Brian D'Amato - some 46 pages long. Brian is probably Barbara's brother, since he lives in New York rather than Chicago. One is hard put to reason why this essay was included, even though it refers to a number of Oz books, unless perhaps it was at Brian's suggestion. Whatever - you can find evil in just about anything if you're looking for it - even the most innocent publication. Maybe that's what Mr. D'Amato is attempting to prove.

Brian D'Amato carefully highlights every negative implication of the wooden gargoyles found in The Road To
Oz, and comments on the nightmares possible for young children to be found there - as well as equally dangerous and possibly harmful situations in other Oz books. Mr. D'Amato even touches on the necessity of possible evil in relating any story. However, one thing he might have overlooked is the fact that most children LIKE to be scared - and frightening situations (especially when they're overcome) are always welcome in any children's book. This is evidently a trait carried into adulthood - otherwise why would we be so attracted to murder mysteries?

Evil, reversed, spells 'Live.' In other words, aliveness, when turned around, becomes deadening. And there's no doubt that evil in any form destroys whatever life or vitality a situation or person possesses. Yet - what contrast! What excitement the introduction of evil brings! What fun! Unless it happens in reality, of course.

I suppose what I'm saying here is that any essay on L. Frank Baum and his negative side (he certainly had that, as do we all) does not belong at the end of a book about an Oz festival. Even though the novel is about murder, the Oz to which it constantly refers doesn't need scholarly dissection with an emphasis on its evil qualities. Instead, allow us to think of Oz books the way they were originally intended - as wonderful stories complete with imaginative fantasies unequalled by just about every children's book in the present day!

Alan Paul Curtis

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