Once Upon a Wardrobe
by Patti Callahan Harper Muse. Oct. 2021.
320p. ISBN 9780785251729. $24.99
"Callahan (Becoming Mrs. Lewis) once again visits the life and works of C. S. Lewis in this enlightening novel of logic and imagination, faith, and reason. Eight-year-old George Devonshire, housebound with a fatal heart ailment, lives his life through his favorite books. Captivated by The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, George wants his sister to ask C. S. Lewis where Narnia came from. Meg, a mathematics student at Oxford, is determined to find the answers her brother seeks. But Lewis won’t give her the direct answer that her logical mind wants. Instead, he tells Meg a series of stories from his life, stories that may or may not solve the mystery of where his novels’ world and characters were born. As she spends time with Lewis, Meg slowly begins to find her logical mind expanding to encompass a love of story-telling and imagination. Her remaining time with George becomes more precious, and Meg finds that his question has given her a truly priceless gift."
—Library Journal (Starred Review)
VERDICT: This enchanting novel of faith and hope is a must-read for fans of C. S. Lewis. Readers will be eager to return to the world of “The Chronicles of Narnia” with new insights.
Reviewed by Catherine Coyne, Mansfield P.L., MA , Jul 01, 2021