Issue: August 12, 2021
Once Upon a Wardrobe.
By Patti Callahan
Oct. 19, 2021. 320p. Harper, $24.99 (9780785251729)
"Eight-year-old George has a weak heart but big plans for his limited time. He’s inspired by the
recently published The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by C. S. Lewis, and is sure that if he
can learn how Narnia was created, he’ll be content. He pleads with his sister Megs, a physics
student at Oxford, to seek Lewis out and get the answers. Megs isn’t really interested in stories,
or in making friends, for that matter, but her brother is dear to her. She manages to meet the
esteemed tutor and share George’s request with him. Over several visits, Lewis tells Megs
stories of his life, which she brings home to George. Along the way, and with the help of a
handsome fellow student, she learns that truth lies both in physics and in fairy tales, and new
worlds open for her family and herself. This is a heartwarming tale about the transformative
power of books, with engaging and detailed descriptions. George’s earnestness and imaginative
nature uplift his family and will charm any reader who enjoys looking at the stories behind our
favorite childhood stories."
— Maribeth Fisher