Once Upon a Wardrobe

Megs Devonshire strikes up a conversation with C. S. Lewis about Narnia and learns about the author's life through his stories.

Patti Callahan wrote the story of C. S. Lewis' relationship with Joy Davidman in Becoming Mrs. Lewis, and continues with another story about the Narnia author in Once Upon a Wardrobe.

George Devonshire is a young boy with a terminal illness who is wholeheartedly invested in the world of Narnia from the novel The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. He asks his sister Megs, who is conveniently studying at Oxford, to ask the author where Narnia came from.

Megs visits C. S. Lewis and his brother at their home, and "Jack" as he is known to his family tells Megs stories about his childhood as a roundabout way of telling her where Narnia came from. Megs writes down the stories and tells them to her brother George on the weekends when she visits him.

Megs learns a lot about life from both Mr. Lewis and George throughout the novel, which ends on a bittersweet note that had this reviewer in tears.

Narrator Fiona Hardingham does a great job of reading both male and female characters in English and Irish accents.

Recommended for lovers of Narnia and readers of historical fiction.

Patti Callahan Henry is the bestselling author of Southern contemporary fiction who writes historical fiction as Patti Callahan. She divides her time between Alabama and South Carolina.

Publisher: Harper Muse (print); Brilliance Audio

Narrator: Fiona Hardingham

Running Time: 7 hours, 8 minutes

Length: 320 pages

Release Date: October 19, 2021

I received an electronic galley copy of this title from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.