Son of a Witch by Gregory Maguire

Despite the absence of the enigmatic, and wonderfully re-written wicked witch of the west, the Son of the Witch is delightful and surprising. Following characters that he only touched on in Wicked, Maguire elaborates on the unresolved threads in his Munchkinland. A fairy tale (written for adults) it follows Liir--a self-depracating, doubtful character that tries to thaw out the coldness and lonliness that he inherited from his mother minus the determination and passion. He is no Elphaba, but the reader is eventually drawn into his struggles and victories. There is a needlessly elaborate love triangle towards the end that distracts more than anything. But mostly, it also delivers charming passages like the one below:

-"Don't carp. I don't deal well with conflict, " said the Lion. "Let's sing a song."
-"No," they all chorused.
-"What'll you do when you find yourself courageous--assuming the Wizard grants you what you wish?" asked the Scarecrow, to change the subject.
-"Invest in the market? Join a troupe of music hall buskers? How the hell do I know?," said the Lion. "Strike out on my own, anyway, and find a better class of associates. More simpatico."
-"You?" asked the Scarecrow of the Tin Woodman
-"What will I do if I find myself a heart?" scoffed the Tin Woodman. "Lose it constantly, I imagine."
They slopped on. Liir didn't think it was his place to continue the conversation, since he hadn't been present at their initial audience with the Wizard. When no one else spoke, though, he said, "Well, Scarecrow your turn. What'll you do with your brains?"
-"I'm thinking about it," he answered, and would not discuss it further.