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“You’ve always had the power, my dear, you just had to learn it for yourself,” is a quote from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. It is a classic line spoken by Glinda the Good Witch to Dorothy to remind her that her life is in her control. This is the premise of a new book written by longtime Newburyport residents, Sue Tabb and Deirdre Budzyna.

The book is titled Waking Oz: A Guide for Women Who Want to Use Brains, Heart, and Courage to Create a Kickass Life.

Tabb and Budzyna took inspiration from The Wizard Oz to write a book that is designed to speak directly to women who, after years of focusing on motherhood and family, find themselves at a crossroads. 

“Women often wake up one day to find wrinkles, a kid with a license, and a stalling career,” says Tabb. “You are driving a car you hate, your nails are mangled stubs, and you are wearing those comfortable shoes that—let’s be honest—don’t flatter anyone. What happened?”

“Sue and I know many women who have had this experience, and we felt compelled to write this book as a way for them to wake up and make some changes,” says Budzyna. “As women, many of us have been hiding from our truth: We are getting older, our kids will leave, and we darn well better have a life carved out for ourselves.” 

Tabb and Budzyna feel that our society, and especially women, have gone overboard making it all about our kids. “It’s time to realize there is no wizard behind the green curtain who will magically take care of everything,” adds Tabb. “We hope this book is a first step in waking the power of Oz because Oz is within each of us.”

Waking Oz reached the #1 new position on Amazon in the motherhood category and was a bestseller at Barnes & Noble within days of its release in November. This empowering guide, published by Briley & Baxter Books in Plymouth is quickly becoming the must-read for women ready to reconnect with their own dreams, passions, and strengths.

The 90-page book offers tips for women to harness the fire within, and tips on clicking their own proverbial red heels to chart their desired path.

Tabb and Budzyna’s engaging approach draws from their own lives of balancing raising childrenTabb has two daughters and Budzyna has two daughters and a son—with demanding careers. Tabb has been waking up radio audiences for years, first on Kiss 108 and then after a ten-year break to work in PR, on Magic 106.7 for the past nine years. Budzyna, a professor at Northern Essex Community College, has dedicated her career to teaching, directing theater in Newburyport, and lecturing nationally on creative learning. 

The two moms hope the book will serve to guide readers through a journey of self-discovery with humor, heart, and actionable advice to help them reclaim life’s excitement and meaning. 

“We wrote Waking Oz because so many women we know are yearning to step out from behind the ‘mom’ role and redefine themselves on their own terms,” says Budzyna. “Waking Oz is more than a self-help book; it’s a call to action for women to step into their power.”

“Life can be messy, but embracing that imperfection is where the magic lives,” says Tabb. “The best things in life come from stepping out of our comfort zone and into areas that might seem scary or unattainable. Trying and failing is so much better than never trying at all.”

As a line on the front of the book states, Tabb and Budzyna invite women to “Step into the Twister, Sister!”   

Waking Oz: A Guide for Women Who Want to Use Brains, Heart, and Courage to Create a Kickass Life is available at Jabberwocky in Newburyport, select local bookstores, and online.