Betty Ann Bruno is a living part of history

Not only was Betty Ann a Munchkin in the MGM film, The Wizard of Oz, but much like Dorothy, she is now traveling down her own Yellow Brick Road, with all of its own adventures. Betty Ann Bruno is a living part of history. She is a Munchkin ambassador from Oz, and she has helped make it a real place, not just a dream.

… Robert Baum, Foreword in the book

this reading helps uncover some of the dormant wisdom, bravery, and heart of your own.

This is an intimate account of an accidental munchkin who grew up at a time that was magical in many ways, and at the same time posed many challenges. Ultimately, this is a very American story (or collection of stories) that span a lifetime and include memories of 1940’s Hollywood up through contemporary Sonoma, CA. This is about much more than being a Munchkin, but perhaps it has more to do with the wisdom, heart, courage and bravery that we all witnessed as part of the great story of The Wizard of Oz - through the real-life stories of Betty Ann. I think you will find bits of yourself in her words, and may find that this reading helps uncover some of the dormant wisdom, bravery, and heart of your own.

… LA DIY, Amazon Review

Fabulous read, and so artfully crafted!

Every chapter in this fabulous book is a mini story all of its own. We read insider information about Hollywood life for the locals in the 40’s; about local TV newsroom politics and how the insurance companies deceived/ignored their policyholders who lost their homes, their hope, their everything in the devastating East Bay fires. In her book Betty Ann Bruno gives us candid insights into growing up trying to find her true identity through her many life experiences and varied impressive careers.

She was a household name in the SF Bay Area news world for many years and continues to honor her Hawaiian /American history through her ongoing teaching of Hawaiian music ,dance and traditions. Fabulous read, and so artfully crafted!

… Vikki W., Amazon Review

Like the little chocolate treat that nice hotels place on your pillow at night.

What a treat The Munchkin Diary is. I like to read before I go to sleep and this book is like the little chocolate treat that nice hotels place on your pillow at night. Betty Ann Bruno's conversational style brings to life her different adventures along the yellow brick road of her life from playing a Munchkin in the original Wizard of Oz movie to becoming an award winning newscaster and following different paths on her journey to becoming one with her Hawaiian heritage. It is the current chapter of her life as founder and passionate teacher of Hula Mai, a hula dance troupe in Sonoma, California, that I have the joy of learning from this remarkable woman in more ways than hula dancing. Betty Ann Bruno's book offers pithy insight into what makes a person lead a successful life: curiosity, daring, resilience and acceptance. I am the author of three books about women in business, including The Eleven Commandments of Wildly Successful Women. Not only is Betty Ann Bruno a wildly successful woman, but also a generous and bold story teller. Her book truly is a must read. Mahalo.

… Pam G., Amazon Review

Thank you to the author, I needed that

Betty Ann Bruno gives me just what I need as a reader in 2021: a life recharge, from one quick, fun or gritty story after another from a life she has been embracing to the fullest for 80 plus years, whatever hand she's been dealt. From child acting in The Wizard of Oz film, to community work in forever struggling Oakland, California, to hard news reporting at one of the biggest TV stations, to firestorm refugee and rebuilding, to teaching thousands of people the fun and spirit of real Hula dance done right; to being a wife and mother while carving out multiple careers by being twice as good (says me, not her). I really enjoyed this wonderful and recharging read, with an old soul living a fresh life, one step at a time, never giving up, and always with open eyes and a life-worn-lightly spirit. Thank you to the author, I needed that

… Walter H., Amazon Review

The politics! The activism! The strides you made for women in TV! And then…the fire.

I savored reading The Munchkin Diary, and I absolutely loved it.

Your writing voice is wonderful – so real and present. (I teach creative writing, and this is the kind of “I” voice that I encourage my adult students to use). I learned so much through reading your memoir, from the innards of The Wizard of Oz to living in the Bay Area (I lived in Marin County from 1983 to 2014, with a hiatus in between). The politics! The activism! The strides you made for women in TV! And then…the fire. I had been in Carmel for the weekend with a girlfriend, and I’ll never forget driving home, across the Golden Gate Bridge, seeing the Oakland hills on fire. You brought it all up again so close and personal.

You are a star. I only wish I lived in the Petaluma area so I could dance with you.

… Pam W., From email to Betty Ann

This book is easy to read, is devoid of typos or editing errors I find in many modern books, and compelling in terms of its content. You can read it in short spurts or through a long sitting (I did both). It's a fun romp through time, especially if you have any shared experiences or touchstones with Ms. Bruno's life.

… Brian F., Amazon Review

I enjoyed getting to know Betty Ann Bruno. She's clearly a warm, loving and very intelligent woman. She even made me cry... as well as laugh. Check it out.

… Merle K., Amazon Review