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Title details for Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan - Available

Once Upon a Wardrobe

by Patti Callahan
Fiona Hardingham
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available

For everyone who has fallen through the wardrobe door, experienced the magic of Narnia, and longs to know more, New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan delivers a heartfelt story that is simultaneously a fascinating look into the bond between siblings, a peek behind the curtain of Lewis's personal life, and an homage to the life-changing magic of stories.

1950: Margaret Devonshire (Megs) is a seventeen-year-old student of mathematics and physics at Oxford University. When her beloved eight-year-old brother asks Megs if Narnia is real, logical Megs tells him it's just a book for children, and certainly not true. Homebound due to his illness, and remaining fixated on his favorite books, George presses her to ask the author of the recently released novel The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe a question: "Where did Narnia come from?"

Despite her fear about approaching the famous author, who is a professor at her school, Megs soon finds herself taking tea with C. S. Lewis and his own brother Warnie, begging them for answers.

Rather than directly telling her where Narnia came from, Lewis encourages Megs to form her own conclusion as he shares the little-known stories from his own life that led to his inspiration. As she takes these stories home to George, the little boy travels farther in his imagination than he ever could in real life.

After holding so tightly to logic and reason, her brother's request leads Megs to absorb a more profound truth: "The way stories change us can't be explained. It can only be felt. Like love."

Once Upon a Wardrobe is a captivating historical novel that deftly combines fact and fiction. It's an emotional journey into the books and stories that make us who we are. It's perfect for book clubs, for anyone who has ever longed to know more about Narnia, and for anyone whose life has ever been impacted by a story.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    October 19, 2021

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780785251781
      • File size: 205650 KB
      • Duration: 07:08:26

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      June 21, 2021
      Callahan (Becoming Mrs. Lewis) mines the life and work of C.S. Lewis in this enjoyable exploration of the power of imagination to see one through difficult times. In 1950 Worcester, England, eight-year-old George Devonshir, born with a weak heart, is often restricted to his bed, where he devours adventure and fantasy books. After he comes across The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, he asks his sister Megs, a student at Oxford, to ask C.S. Lewis, who is a don at her university, where the idea for Narnia came from. After being caught on Lewis’s property mustering up the courage to knock on the door, she’s invited into his home, where Lewis and his brother tell her the story of their lives. Lewis’s childhood, Megs learns, has many parallels with George’s: he was often ill and comforted himself with wildly imaginative stories. As Megs relates the stories to her brother, she comes to appreciate how fantasy and real life can interact in productive, beautiful ways. While Callahan’s prose verges on saccharine—nearly every page contains a reminder of George’s illness or his family’s devotion to his happiness—the heartfelt characters will win over sentimental readers. Callahan’s fans will love this.

    • Library Journal

      Starred review from July 1, 2021

      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 storytelling and imagination. Her remaining time with George becomes more precious, and Meg finds that his question has given her a truly priceless gift. 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.--Catherine Coyne, Mansfield P.L., MA

      Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • Booklist

      August 1, 2021
      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.

      COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Fiona Hardingham showcases great range in her enchanting and touching narration. She enthusiastically portrays Megs Devonshire, a mathematics student at Oxford who sets out to ask C.S. Lewis about the inspiration behind Narnia for her little brother, George. Hardingham brings terminally ill George to life, engagingly imbuing him with childlike curiosity and excitement. She contrasts these characters' varied British accents with her portrayal of Lewis, whom she gives a compelling Irish accent and strong personality. Hardingham's heartfelt and emotive performance capturing the power of books adds even more magic to Callahan's beautiful story. Bonus clips include a note from Lewis's stepson and a note from the author. A must-listen for every Narnia or C.S. Lewis fan. V.T.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
    • BookPage
      As Patti Callahan’s Once Upon a Wardrobe opens, it’s December 1950 in Worcestershire, England, and 8-year-old George Devonshire knows he’s not going to get better. His congenital heart disease is worsening, and there are no treatments left. George, an ardent fan of C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, wants his adored big sister, Megs, to answer his question: Where did Narnia come from? Megs, who’s busy with her mathematics studies at Somerville College, Oxford University, tells her brother that she has no time for children’s books. But after reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Megs changes her mind. And as George reminds her, Lewis just happens to be an English literature tutor at Magdalen College, Oxford. Megs finds a way to introduce herself to Lewis and his older brother, Warnie, who live together outside Oxford, and she begins to visit them and listen to their stories about growing up in Ireland and their roles in the two world wars. Megs brings these stories home to George, who in turn narrates them to the reader: “Hours in bed have taught George how to find the soft edges of the facts and drop himself into the worlds he hears about or reads of. He closes his eyes, sets his mind’s eye on the words, and floats on them like a raft.” Once Upon a Wardrobe pivots between Megs’ and George’s perspectives. Megs takes in the Lewis brothers’ stories and slowly develops a friendship with Padraig, a literature student from Ireland. George listens to Megs and then spins out the tales for the reader. It’s a gentle novel with some beautifully cinematic images of snow, Lewis’ childhood and Oxford’s medieval colleges. Some readers may wish for a little more conflict (for instance, between Megs and her parents, or even between Megs and George), but the novel offers a strong sense of the defining moments in Lewis’ life, as well as the mythical sources for the Chronicles of Narnia. It also shows how a writer’s life can inform fiction, and how stories offer meaning in times of trouble. Callahan is well-versed on the subject of C.S. Lewis; she’s the author of the bestselling Becoming Mrs. Lewis, an account of the American poet Joy Davidman’s midlife friendship and marriage to the author. Once Upon a Wardrobe would make an ideal companion for family book clubs reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe together.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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