When Dorothy triumphed over the Wicked Witch in L. Frank Baum's classic tale, we heard only her side of the story. But what of her nemesis? Where did she come from, and what, after all, is the true nature of "evil?" In Wicked, the novel that inspired the hit Broadway musical, Gregory Maguire creates a rich fantasy world where talking animals strive to be treated as first-class citizens, Munchkinlanders seek the comfort of middle-class stability, and a little green-skinned girl named Elphaba grows up to become the infamous Wicked Witch—a smart, prickly, misunderstood creature. "The Wicked Witch of the West is as scary as ever, but this time in a different way: she's undeniably human. She's us."—Wally Lamb