Get ready for a little bit of magic this Christmas season because Once Upon a Wardrobe is a very special book. I went through a box of tissues on this one I was crying so much, not because it’s overly sad, well, a little sad, but it was so heartwarming. You can read my review below, but first here’s more about Once Upon a Wardrobe.
Description
When college student Megs approaches author C. S. Lewis with her younger brother’s request to find out if Narnia is real, he instead takes her on a magical journey through the moments in his life that led to his greatest creation.
Megs Devonshire, on a scholarship at Oxford, is brilliant with numbers and equations. She prefers the dependability of facts—except for one: the brother she loves with all her heart doesn’t have long to live. When George becomes captivated by a brand-new book called The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and begs her to find out where Narnia came from, there’s no way she can refuse.
Despite her timidity about approaching the famous author, who is a professor at her school, Megs soon finds herself taking tea with the Oxford don and his own brother, begging them for answers. What she receives instead are stories . . . little-known tales from different periods in Mr. Lewis’s life, which she takes home to George.
Why won’t Mr. Lewis just tell her plainly what George wants to know? The answer will reveal to Meg many truths that science and math cannot, and the gift she thought she was giving to her brother—the story behind Narnia—turns out to be his gift to her, instead: hope.
Praise for Once Upon a Wardrobe:
“I advise you to read this book, then wait for a while and then read it again, for while it may not be Narnia, there is magic in it.” —Douglas Gresham, C. S. Lewis’s stepson
“With a touch of fairy-tale magic, Once Upon a Wardrobe will take you behind the legend and deep into the English and Irish countryside, where you’ll encounter not only the inspirations for one of the 20th century’s most beloved works, but also a tale of heartache, hope, and discovery that will forever change the Narnia you thought you knew.” —Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author
- A marvelous blend of little-known true stories from C. S. Lewis’s life that Narnia fans will treasure
- Includes discussion questions for book clubs as well as a note from Douglas Gresham, C. S. Lewis’s stepson
- Also by New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan: Becoming Mrs. Lewis and Surviving Savannah
Once Upon a Wardrobe is $12.99 on Amazon, but check your library. I bet it’s there!
My Review
Once Upon a Wardrobe is an incredible story about a brother who is ill and a sister who would brave a lion for him. Megs is asked by her brother George to find out how C.S. Lewis got the idea for Narnia. She is a student at Oxford University where he is a professor, but the task is a big one. She gets an invitation to his home but the direct answer to her question is hard to pin down. All of these characters grow and learn in wonderful ways throughout the book. This is a beautiful story about love that will tug at your heart strings. I highly recommend Once Upon a Wardrobe, because like C.S. Lewis’s Narnia, it takes you into a glorious world. Loved it! 5 Stars
