Once Upon a Wardrobe

by Patti Callahan

Hardcover, 2021

Status

Available

Call number

813.6

Publication

Harper Muse (2021), Edition: 1st, 320 pages

Description

Fiction. Literature. Romance. Historical Fiction. HTML: Megs Devonshire sets out to fulfill her younger brother George's last wish by uncovering the truth behind his favorite story. The answer provides hope and healing and a magical journey for anyone whose life has ever been changed by a book. 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 slowly tells her 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 father in his imagination than he ever could in real life. Lewis's answers will reveal to Megs and her family 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. A captivating, standalone historical novel combining fact and fiction An emotional journey into the books and stories that make us who we are… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member susan0316

This is a beautiful and truly magical story about finding hope and meaning during the sad times of life. The author has created fantastic characters and merged them with the reality of CS Lewis's life to bring her readers a story that will long be with them.

Megs is a student at Oxford where she is

studying mathematics. She enjoys numbers and their dependability. Every weekend she travels home to Worcestershire to visit her parents and her brother George. George is only eight years old and was born with a heart condition that will kill him at a very young. Since he spends most of his time in bed, he loves to read. One weekend when Megs comes home, he tells her about his new favorite book The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis. Since he is a professor at Oxford, George begs Megs to meet with C S Lewis to find out where Narnia came from. She is devoted to her brother and agrees to talk to Mr. Lewis. When she asks him questions about Narnia, he gives her stories about his life for her to try to figure out the ultimate answer. She shares his stories with George each weekend and George is enthralled with the life of the author. His stories help to bring George and Megs closer to the real meaning of Narnia.

The writing in this novel is exquisite. At times it's a sad story and I will admit to some tears. But at the end, the overwhelming feeling is one of hope and joy. “The way the stories change us can’t be explained ... It can only be felt. Like love.”

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Show Less

20 more

LibraryThing member kristy1992

Once upon a wardrobe, in a land far, far away, the early life of C.S. Lewis is told to a young boy by his older sister. I absolutely loved this book! It was a wonderful mix of faith, hope, love, and magic. As Callahan writes, “The way the stories change us can’t be explained ... It can only be

felt. Like love.”

My ARC was provided by NetGalley and was an early galley that did yet have Patti Callahan’s author's note attached to it. I can't wait to learn more about her research for this novel and the stories from C. S. Lewis aka Jack. This book was beyond what I expected and renewed my interest to reread the Narnia books!

Show Less

LibraryThing member claudia.castenir

I wish I were sitting across from you, each of us with a cup of our favorite hot beverage, sharing my thoughts on Once Upon a Wardrobe. I want to read your expressions, and for you to read mine, to make certain that I am clearly communicating the magic and depth of this story. I am used to

understanding books, but not to books understanding me. We have all read books that we have enjoyed, books that have entertained or informed us; then there are those special books that strike a chord within us, that resonate in our hearts. Once Upon a Wardrobe will not only be one of those books for many, it will also be a window into the magic of those books, the ones that fill your heart, that transport you to another time and place, that transform some inner part of you. I realize that I have left a bit of myself within the pages of this book, and have kept a bit of Megs and George within me, and this makes me quite grateful to Patti Callahan for crafting such an extraordinary story. I am grateful as well to Harper Muse for providing me with a complimentary copy of Once Upon a Wardrobe via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Show Less

LibraryThing member fredreeca

Meg is a student of mathematics at Oxford. When her terminally ill brother, George, asks her to read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to him, it changes her perspective. George sends her on a quest to find out about Narnia. Meg ends up visiting C.S. Lewis or Jack, as he is called, at his home.

This opens up a whole new world for Meg and George.

I have never been a huge fan of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.. GASP! But, I loved this book! It is truly magical and so well written! I enjoyed reading about Jack’s life and family! It adds a whole new perspective to a writer’s process. Add in George and his illness, and you have a fabulous tale you will not soon forget!

Need a book that will take you an an imaginary ride and possibly bring tears to your eyes…THIS IS IT!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Show Less

LibraryThing member mrstreme

Ready for a cozy winter story, filled with love and wonder? Then look no further than Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan.

Once Upon a Wardrobe tells the story of George, a young English boy who is mesmerized by C.S. Lewis's book, The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. He begs his older sister,

Megs, a student at Oxford, to ask Mr. Lewis where Narnia came from. Megs is a rational person, one who loves math and physics, and the idea of asking Mr. Lewis about Narnia seemed like the last thing she wanted to do. However, Megs loves her brother and seeks out Mr. Lewis for answers. What follows are stories about C.S. Lewis's life, as well as Megs and George's, and a discussion about stories, imagination, myth, and reality.

A quick read, do not feel compelled to have read C.S. Lewis's books or Patti Callahan's previous novel, Becoming Mrs. Lewis. None of them are prerequisites for this wonderful book. Instead, light a fire, tuck yourself under a blanket, and get ready to be transported to 1950's England.

With exquisite language, unforgettable characters, and a beautiful wintry setting, I hope you will love Once Upon A Wardrobe like I did. Patti Callahan hit this one out of the park!

Show Less

LibraryThing member kimkimkim

A boy and a girl, a brother and sister, one’s stance is so definitive, a woman of math and science, the other, a young boy has a more abstract view of the world. One is hale, hearty and very healthy, the other has a heart that is failing - they are each devoted to the other. They are going to

travel together as far as they can, as long as they can and all the while the girl is looking for answers to the question her brother poses “Where did Narnia come from?”

So to quote Megs and George; “Once upon a wardrobe, not very long ago and not very far away” there is an exquisite story of love and devotion, heartbreak and profound loss, but always stories, filled with wonder and loyalty, stories that make something wonderful out of something awful. Slowly, gradually, the rigid curtain of definitive science is lowered and the light of the possible, maybe not probable, is allowed in and there may just be answers without answers. The young boy is brilliant, seeing into the depths and ultimately understanding it all.

Patti Callahan Henry has written an extraordinary book with much information revealed in the most interesting piece of historical fiction told by giving the reader beautiful slices of the life of C.S. Lewis. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you Harper Muse and NetGalley for a copy.

Show Less

LibraryThing member Cherylk

All the great things you have heard or read about this book is true. I absolutely loved this book. It made me look at the Chronicles of Narnia in a more personal light and appreciate it even more. I feel in love with author, Patti Callahan more after reading this book. This book is in my top three

for 2021!

I really loved the way that Meg cared for her brother, George. While in the beginning, she thought that George's request was a bit silly, she did it anyways out of love for her brother. I can relate to Meg some in the fact that she was trying to analyze Narnia and the characters. I have a very analytical mind but sometimes there is no straight answer.

George was so wise behind his young years. He understood what C.S aka Jack was speaking about. The more and more I read, I got "lost" within the pages of this story in a wonderful way. The ending was great.

Show Less

LibraryThing member SquirrelHead

This story will be enjoyed by those who loved C.S. Lewis' books about Narnia and The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. As someone who hasn't read those books in decades I realized you didn't need the background to be entertained by this narrative.

The story begins in 1950, location Worcester and

Oxford England. Young George Devonshire is a frail little boy with a heart condition. He is completely besotted with Lewis' book The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and wants desperately to know if Narnia is real. He will occassionaly climb into the wardrobe in his room and sit, imaging the world outside and a life he'll never have chance to know.

His older sister Megs is a mathmatics and physics student in Oxford and doesn't think beyond mathmatical probabilities - it's either right or wrong. Fantasy and imagination never cross her mind with any serious thought.

One thing for sure, Megs loves her little brother very much and rushes home from college to be with him each weekend and break. As she is reading to him one day George asks if she will approach Mr. Lewis and ask where the stories about Narnia came from. Is it real? Where did the inspiration come from? Megs has been to a lecture of Mr. Lewis but is reluctant to approach him with this request. Loving George so much she risks it as it's his dying wish. From there - what a wonderful story this becomes.

Megs is invited into the home called The Kilns, the residence of Warnie and Jack Lewis. (Jack is C.S. Lewis) and the story unfolds from there. It's a nesting doll of stories

There is saddness in this story but it's also wonderfully rich with details aout Lewis' life from boyhood to present. Adventure seen through a child's eyes and some very imaginative adults.

Show Less

LibraryThing member LadyoftheLodge

"Once Upon a Wardrobe" was not at all what I expected. This novel combined aspects of fantasy, historical fiction, romance, and spirituality. The story turns upon Megs and her younger brother George. Megs attends Oxford as a maths major, and George suffers from a weakened health condition, with a

predicted short life span.George is enamored of "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" and implores Megs to ask the author where the story came from. Megs sets out to accomplish this task for her brother before his time on earth runs out.

The result of this quest for Megs is an enlightened view of fantasy and myth and their role in belief systems. During her interviews with C.S. Lewis, Megs gains wisdom and insight into the spiritual realm, an area not based on logic. In the process, she develops writing talents that previously lay hidden. She also meets a young man who guides her quest and finally becomes an important person in her life.

The point of view in this book alternates between Megs, George, and C.S.Lewis. The story incorporates aspects of the life of Lewis, while providing an analysis of possible meanings of the Aslan character and other features of "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe." The spiritual aspect of the story is gently conveyed through the plot and characters, as they are lead to new and eye-opening discoveries and growth.This book contains moments of joy and of sadness, as it winds to its inevitable conclusion. The romantic aspects of the story,,while somewhat sentimental, remain secondary to the key themes. The final chapter is a stunner.

While this is not an easy read, it is a very thoughtful one. I would encourage readers to continue on with the story if they are thinking about laying it aside. It is well worth the effort. One does not need to be familiar with the works of Lewis to appreciate this novel. However, those who are not familiar may be prompted to pick up the Narnia books and discover the mystical connections for themselves.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Show Less

LibraryThing member gypsysmom

I didn't read the Narnia books until I was an adult after my friend and roommate gave me a set when he learned I hadn't read them. Of course, I loved them but I sort of wish I had been the age as the boy in this book because a child reads fantasy with a different mindset than an adult does.

Megs

Devonshire is only seventeen in 1950 but because she is brilliant with mathematics and physics she has already started at Oxford. Most weekends she goes home on the train to Worcester because her little brother George, aged eight, has a serious heart defect and isn't likely to live much longer. George has recently been given a copy of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis and he loves it. He is waiting for Megs to come home so he can tell her all about it. He also wants Megs to ask C. S. Lewis a question for him since Lewis is a tutor at Oxford. At first Megs is reluctant but then she reads the book and she understands George's need for an answer to the question "Where did Narnia come from?" She follows Lewis home to his house called The Kilns where he lives with his brother, Warnie. As a woman Megs can't enter Magdalen college where Lewis teaches so her only hope of meeting him is at his home. She hangs about hoping for an opening and when Warnie encounters her on the grounds and she explains her quest he invites her into the house to meet Lewis (whom everyone calls Jack). Over a number of meetings Jack tells Megs stories about his life although he never really answers the question directly. Megs takes all the stories back to George and when she tells him about a visit Jack and Warnie and their mother made to Dunluce Castle shortly before his mother died George forms the wish to see Dunluce Castle for himself. He asks Megs to arrange a visit there for his Christmas present. That seems impossible given the state of George's health and the need to drive. A fellow student, Padraig, who has relatives near Dunluce Castle helps Megs fulfill George's wish. At the same time Megs and Padraig fall in love.

The author apparently also wrote another book about C. S. Lewis called becoming Mrs. Lewis which tells a story later in Lewis' life about meeting his wife. I think I'm going to have to read that one.

Show Less

LibraryThing member nyiper

I'm horrified to admit that I've never READ The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe but I will be reading it shortly after my daughter was so sure I MUST have read it---she has the series and has read them more than once!! Lovely, lovely historical novel and now I also need to read...Becoming Mr.s

Lewis!

Show Less

LibraryThing member rmarcin

While I have never read The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, this book left me enchanted and wanting to read that classic by C. S. Lewis. It was beautifully written, emotional, and filled with love. Every page was magical!
Young George Devonshire is dying and his sister, Megs, desperately wishes

to help him. When George asks her to find C. S. Lewis at Oxford where she is a student and ask him where Narnia came from. What follows is a beautiful story of how Megs meets the Lewis brothers, and the stories she carries back to her brother, George. A fellow student, Padraig, helps Meg forget logic and accept love.
May we all discover the magic of a fairy tale and let our imaginations run wild and grow with love.

Show Less

LibraryThing member shazjhb

A book that covers death, dying, love, family, myth, legend, story is not to be missed. CS Lewis - Jack is amazing. It is not a child’s book.

LibraryThing member Micareads

Megs Devonshire is a math student at Oxford who seems fact and procedure in every movement of her day. When she goes home to see her younger brother, George, who is an invalid due to a severe heart condition.

George uses his time in bed to read extraordinary amounts of books and quickly falls in

love with the C.S. Lewis classic, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. When he discovers that Megs sees C.S. Lewis on a daily basis, he implores her to ask Lewis where Narnia came from; where the ideas for this amazing land and animals came to be.

Megs reaches out to Lewis and explains her brother's situation and he then regals her with other stories of his time growing up. She shares these stories with her brother who begins to piece together those from Lewis' life who play prominent roles and were familiar to Narnia subjects.

The premise of this book caught my eye immediately. Listening to the book as opposed to reading it was the best decision I made. The narrator did a wonderful job portraying the characters and being believable in all of them. She truly brought the story to life.

Patti Callahan brings everything about C.S. Lewis to her story. She tells tales of his relationship with his brother and father, the untimely death of his mother, and his time in university and during World War I and II. After listening to this story, I feel as if I know C.S. Lewis better than before. This was a story well worth the listen.

Show Less

LibraryThing member lycomayflower

CA: sick child, child death

This novel tells the story of elements of C.S. Lewis's life that may have been relevant to the creation of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe through the frame of a young Oxford student having meetings with Lewis in order to bring stories back to her little brother,

who is both obsessed with Narnia and dying of a heart condition. Flirts with tweeness the whole way through but manages to avoid slipping over the line. A pretty good illustration of the power and meaningfulness of stories while also being a decent biofiction of parts of Lewis's life. The relationship between Megs and her brother is nicely drawn, as if the light romance Megs gets drawn into with a fellow Oxford student.

Show Less

LibraryThing member LibraryCin

3.5 stars

George is 8-years old and won’t live much longer. He is confined to home. His older sister, Megs, is going to school at the women’s portion of Oxford, where George’s favourite author, C. S. Lewis (“The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe” has just been published) is a professor.

George wants Megs to find out for him “Where did Narnia come from?”, and Megs will do anything for George, so she musters up her courage to approach the author and has many conversations with him, as he tells her stories to pass on to George.

I listened to the audio and thought it was good. Although I’m not a fan of “stor(ies) within a story” and that held true for this one. I didn’t really care about “Jack”’s (C.S. Lewis’s) stories and mostly tuned those parts out, but I did love Megs’ and George’s story. I also loved Padraig (sp?) and the romance with Megs. I don’t know for sure, but my guess will be that this puts me opposite of many on which part of the book I preferred!

Show Less

LibraryThing member mmoj

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is one of my favorite series. Ms Callahan did justice to his stories and just added more feelings. This will also be a book I read over and over.

LibraryThing member oddandbookish

I received a copy of this book for free for promotional purposes.

I’ve been the biggest Narnia fan since I was kid. It was always my favorite fantasy series growing up and I was utterly obsessed with it. I had read the author’s other novel, Becoming Mrs. Lewis, and loved it, so naturally I knew

I had to read this one.

This was such a magical read!

This book perfectly encapsulates the wonder and excitement of falling in love with The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. It reminded me of just how enchanting the world of Narnia is and gave me a huge wave of nostalgia.

The plot is simple: a young woman seeks to give her dying brother comfort helping him figure out the origin of his favorite book by talking with the author. The simplicity of the plot works so well. It allows the readers to really think about the stories being told and to draw their own conclusions about how Narnia came to be.

As for the characters, I loved both the main characters, especially George. He was so precious.

The writing style is fantastic. It’s easy to follow and flows so well which makes the book such a quick read.

Overall, this was such a heartwarming read (I almost cried while reading it, and that’s saying something because I have never cried while reading a book). If you are a fan of Narnia I highly recommend reading this magical book!

Show Less

LibraryThing member jepeters333

Megs Devonshire is brilliant with numbers and equations, on a scholarship at Oxford, and dreams of solving the greatest mysteries of physics.

She prefers the dependability of facts—except for one: the younger brother she loves with all her heart doesn’t have long to live. When George becomes

captivated by a copy of 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, Megs soon finds herself taking tea with the Oxford don and his own brother, imploring them for answers. What she receives instead are more stories . . . stories of Jack 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.

Show Less

LibraryThing member Jacsun

This is a book which tugs at your heart and soul in the most comforting way. It's one to experience wholeheartedly and then to save it to read later many more times.

Megs is studying math at Oxford University and has a 9 year-old brother, George, with an imagination that goes beyond the books he

reads. He begs her to ask one of the professors, C.S. Lewis, who has written several books on fantasy to find out "Where did Narnia cone from?" She loves him dearly and will do whatever he asks as he doesn't have much more time to live with a severe illness.

She manages to find an invitation to his home and Mr. Lewis gives her the answer by telling stories about his life which she quickly writes down and conveys to her brother. She, however, confesses to underestimate the power of myths, faeries and magical characters at first. Can someone with a logical mind step into the world of imagination?

One cannot read this book without thinking about the power of mythology. The plot of this book is brilliant with multiple layers of reality. As suggested: perhaps science isn't everything. It clearly is thought provoking and one of my personal favorites.

My thanks to Patti Callahan, Harper Muse and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy to be released on October 19, 2021.

Show Less

LibraryThing member foggidawn

Megs Devonshire is not much of what you'd call a reader -- as a student at Oxford in physics and mathematics, she has little time for novels. But her little brother George, who has a heart condition, has just read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and he wants to know where Narnia comes from.

Is it real? The answer that it comes from Mr. Lewis' imagination does not satisfy, so Megs, who would do anything for her little brother, goes on a quest to find the answer. Her path takes her to The Kilns, home of C.S. Lewis and his brother Warnie. When she asks Mr. Lewis her question, he does answer her -- but he does it with stories.

I found many parts of this book charming. Because the stories Lewis tells of his early life serve as a story within the story, Megs and George's actual story are slighter than you might expect, but there's still time for character development. George does fall into the trope of the angelic invalid child, too wise for his years, too good for this world, but without his illness, Megs wouldn't likely have the impetus to keep trying to ask Lewis her questions after her first attempt to catch him after a public lecture failed. The ending is drawn out, but it does answer every question the reader might have. Recommended for those interested in the life of C.S. Lewis, and for fans of historical fiction set in post-war Oxford.

Show Less

Fewer