'Was ... '

Was is a WFA–nominated 1992 novel by Canadian author Geoff Ryman, published by HarperCollins, focusing on themes of L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and the 1939 musical film version, ranging across time and space from 1860s Kansas to late 1980s California. The story follows three main characters, each living in a different time period, whose individual journeys all connect to the story of The Wizard of Oz.