This was such an enchanting and magical read!!!! It is set in England in 1950. A dying, bedridden child (George) who is captivated by The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe begs his devoted sister(Megs) to find out where Narnia came from. Luckily Megs attends school where C.S.Lewis teaches. How to approach him though? This sets the stage for the unfolding of the tale. Through determination she ends up having tea with Lewis and his brother Warnie who relate stories from their childhood over a series of sessions. Megs then retells the stories to George with love, joy an some lessons of her own. As to the answer to George's question, I leave you with this quote:
“Maybe we are each and every one of us born with our own stories, and we must decide how to tell those stories with our own life, or in a book . . . Or could it be that all our stories come from one larger story?”
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and especially Patti Callahan for showing me some much needed magic. I send you all the stars in the world. Alas my rating limit is a mere 5.
5+

Megs Devonshire is a hard-working, studious, logical-thinking student of mathematics at Oxford’s Somerville College. In her spare time, she embarks upon a quest for her seriously-ill younger brother, George. His fondest wish is to learn where C.S. Lewis got the idea for Narnia. As Megs spends time with the gracious Lewis brothers, she discovers that life is more than just solving logical equations. Will she find the answers she seeks before George’s time runs out? Drawing from true anecdotes from C.S. Lewis’s life, this heartwarming, thought-provoking story offers insights into the imaginative world of C.S. Lewis and his amazing creations.

here is only one word that you need to use to describe this book....magical. Like the world of Narnia, this book will transport you to another world. It is a world where Meg and George are the main characters. George is a sickly child in body, but his mind is imaginative and constantly creating. George knows he will die soon, and his dying wish is to know what inspired C.S. Lewis to create Narnia. He asks his sister, Meg to help him discover the answer. I do believe you will love how Meg comes about helping discover the world of Narnia.

Ms. Callahan Henry is a spectacular storyteller. I believe if you love Narnia, you have just discovered your next favorite book and if you don't know Narnia, maybe it is time you did.

A captivating and powerful heartwarming tale.
Winter 1950’s Worcestershire, England eight year George Devonshire is suffering from a congenital heart condition. An avid reader and the youngest in a close-knit family George is captivated by the recently published book The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by author C. S. Lewis. Megs Devonshire, George’s oldest sister is on a scholarship to Oxford seeks out the author C. S. Lewis per request of her little brother.

George is obsessed with the question “Where did Narnia come from?”
George must know!

An absolutely lovely warm hearted book. That is so moving and enjoyable that I found myself completely immersed within its pages. Patti Callahan isa true storyteller

As a fan of CS Lewis's writing, I was delighted to see a historical fiction title that explores his life and events that influenced the writing of his Narnia books. Author Patti Callahan has obviously done her research on Lewis (and is the author of other historical fiction books about him), and it shows in all the little details she brings to life on the page.

The story is set in 1958, by which time Lewis was lecturing on literature at Magdalen College in Oxford, and had published several books including The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The main character, Megs, is studying mathematics and physics at the sister college of Magdalen, and while she is a young woman securely entrenched in facts and details, she seeks out Lewis at the request of her younger brother, George, who is only 8 and living as an invalid due to a heart condition. Megs comes to know Lewis (and his brother, "Warnie") and Lewis tells her stories about his growing up. Megs is disappointed that she cannot answer her brother's questions about how Narnia came into being, but she begins to see that the stories Lewis is telling her are more than just stories, and Megs begins to see there is more to life than just the black and white numbers in a calculation.

The book focuses more on Lewis's younger life than his writing, although the two are obviously closely intertwined. It traces his upbringing from his youth in Ireland and the loss of his mother at an early age to his move to a boarding school in England, and his experience overseas in World War I. The glimpses he gives Megs during their "story time" together help build his character as a real person and I enjoyed getting to know him better through Megs. Megs' story is one of learning about oneself and struggling through difficult times to find good moments and the light at the end of the tunnel.

A lovely story, well-written and researched that brought the characters to life for me. I'd definitely be interested in reading her other book, Becoming Mrs. Lewis, that focuses on Lewis's adult life and his late marriage. A recommended read for historical fiction lovers and fans of CS Lewis and his writings.

George is an eight year old boy who is very unwell. His sister Megs wants to help him in any way she can. He likes the stories she tells him to begin with once upon a wardrobe. He often sits in his own wardrobe where is draws beautiful lions like Aslam in the Narnia stories.
George wants an answer to a question about Narnia in the Lion, the witch and the wardrobe. Where does Narnia come from in the book by C.S Lewis .Luckily Megs is a student in an Oxford College and this makes Lewis easy to find? However the answers he and his brother provide lead to more questions from George and a whole story unfolds between them. George then wants an adventure in Ireland because of the stories Megs brings back to him but he is very ill. Megs and her boyfriend decide to take him anyway and he has a wonderful time. George is an amazing artist and is obsessed with Aslam in the Narnia stories and the question he asked leads to a whole world for himself. His heart is very weak and he will not grow old so the Lewis brothers tell their life stories to George.
This is an amazing and very moving story and you will want to revisit all the Narnia stories or read them for the first time when you have read this story. It is superbly written novel that captivates you right from the start.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the opportunity to pre-read this book and share my opinions on it.

This was a sweet and moving portrayal of the power Story (with a capital S) has on the lives of us mere mortals. It can carry us through the hard times, elevate our way of thinking, and change us on the most deep and profound levels. In this story-within-a-story, we can see that on display in the lives of young Jack and Warnie Lewis, as well as mathematically-minded Megs and her terminally ill younger brother George.

For most of the book, I personally felt the Megs-and-George parts got in the way of Jack and Warnie's story. I was kind of wishing the book had just focused on a fictionalized biography of these two as they laid the foundation for the fictional world that would become Narnia. Megs and I didn't really connect very well, and George - as sweet as he was - defied believability for me. I have never heard an 8-year-old, terminally ill or otherwise, use phrases like "the ills of the human soul." Nothing about him read like an 8-year-old to me early on. The dipping in and out of various verb tenses and switching narrative voices felt a little more jarring than necessary, too. I would have preferred to stick with third person past tense throughout and tagged things with something like "Oxford 1950" or whatever at the top.

The further into the book I got, though, the more this very much became a story about Megs and George. It grew on me, too. Quite a lot. Part of that might have something to do with Padraig arriving and exerting himself to ensure George's brief life was as magical as possible for whatever time he had left, and I loved how he seemed to make these characters grow. By the end of the book, I felt the heartache I was supposed to feel and thrilled at the beauty of Narnia - my very favorite place in history and fiction - enriching the lives of all of our characters during a very dark time.

I would say the first half or two-thirds of the book would earn 2 stars from me, mostly due to my lack of connection with the characters and the bothersome technical issues. But towards the end, it climbed up higher towards 4-4.5 stars. I was especially happy to see the glowing endorsement Douglas Gresham had written after the final line (and wow, I must say, what an emotional way to close a book for any Narnia geek). So while this was not a perfect experience, I'm glad I got to interact with these characters and feel all the warmth from the appreciation and exaltation of Story.

Absolutely luminous book about belief and doubt housed in the gentle cadence of fairytale structure and painting an Oxford as magical as Narnia.

Brimming with romance and mythos, Once Upon a Wardrobe douses us in a world full of curiosity and nostalgia. The type of book that will be dog-eared and read aloud, passed to generations and returned to when we need to find the small kernels of hope that bind Megs and George and all those who populate their world



My chat with Patti is in the link below

Once Upon A Wardrobe is such a delightful and magical book. I feel in love with Megs, as she tries to answer her brother’s questions and does everything possible to make him happy. Patti Callahan has written a beautiful and hopeful book bursting with love

I received this as an ARC from Netgalley. Patti Callahan some how manages to capture what is it about stories, fairy tales, fiction, that capture our imagination no matter if we are 2 or 102 in Once Upon a Wardrobe. In having read Becoming Mrs. Lewis also by Patti Callahan and A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War by Joseph Loconte, I had some background knowledge on C.S. Lewis and how the Narnia series came about. Once Upon a Wardrobe though, brings the stories and C.S. Lewis to you in a different light. You feel like you are sitting in Kiln having Mr. Lewis tell you the stories as he tells them to Meg. Even if you know nothing about C.S. Lewis or have never read any of the Narnia books, Once Upon a Wardrobe is for you.
I'll finish this review with a short line from this wonderfully written story:
"The world is held together by stories." pg 13, Once Upon a Wardrobe

*Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own*

I would have read this book in two days but I'm glad I took my time with it as I feel I enjoyed it and connected more with the story.
This book is beautiful, I fell in love with it, I think I've never marked a book so much, the author's writing is wonderful, she makes you feel everything.
To me this is a book about stories, about how important they are, if you love stories you will love this book.
I felt embraced by this book, I was enchanted by all the stories in it, I believe the stories about C.S. Lewis are true, but if not the author did a great job anyway creating and bringing them to live inside this book.
There's only one thing I didn't like in this book the way Meg referred to other girls, but that wasn't such an important point in the story that it bothered me so much.
I highly recommend this book, it has a fairy tale vibe, it's a book for you to read on a cold night and feel your heart warm with this story, it's sad but hopeful at the same time!

** “Whenever you are fed up with life, start writing: ink is the great cure for all human ills.” **

“Where did Narnia come from?”

When eight-year-old George Henry Devonshire, who suffers from a weak heart, poses this question to his sister Megs, he sends her on a quest to meet the author of “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” to find the answer.

You see, before dying, George wants to know where Narnia came from. And Aslan, the lion. And the White Witch. And the faun. And the lamppost. So Megs, a mathematician at heart who deeply loves her brother, dives into the literary world to seek answers from the famous author himself, C.S. Lewis.

As Lewis reveals story after story about his life — from childhood through adulthood — Megs slowly puts the pieces together, learning the importance and power of stories.

“Once Upon a Wardrobe” is a beautiful story of love and devotion that peeks into the world of Narnia and C.S. Lewis. Callahan does an incredible job of writing a fictional story based on actual people (Lewis and his brother Warnie) and their histories and connection to fictional characters.

She develops lovely themes, like life’s trials can lead to new and better paths; the importance of breaking through the stone wall of logic and fear; letting go of our presuppositions and opening our minds to a world of possibilities; and God has a plan for us, even if we can’t see it (“ ‘God doesn’t always answer our prayers,’ she told her sons. ‘There are things we can’t know about His great plan.’ ”).

A major theme of “Once Upon a Wardrobe” is stories and their power and impact (“What he can do, he realizes, is sit inside this space and close his eyes and take himself to that imaginary world, where he can have his own adventures, where he can escape the very real world, where his body won’t get hold, and where his mum doesn’t cry in the kitchen”). Through her words, Callahan reminds us that stories allow us to be someone and somewhere else, and that the world is held together by stories.

Fans of Lewis and Narnia, J.R.R. Tolkien’s stories, historical fiction and imaginative fiction will love this book, which is due out Oct. 19. Be sure to have your tissues on hand for the lovely “Once Upon a Wardrobe,” though!

Five stars out of five.

Harper Muse provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

This is a book that stays with you long after the last page. I was of two minds when reading this book. On one hand, I wanted to read it slowly so I could savor every word of the story. I was also stopping frequently to write down names of books that influenced (or were written by) C.S. Lewis that I want to read myself once this is done. On the other hand, I wanted to finish the book and find out more about this author and how she was able to gather these stories and write this book. That is the ironic part of this review, because the main character, Megs, is intent on finding out where Narnia came from. How did C.S. Lewis come up with his story? As she was searching for answers for both herself and her younger brother, I was wondering the same thing about Patti Callahan and how she created the stories behind her real and fictional characters. I hadn't read anything by this author before, but I've already picked up one of her earlier books (Becoming Mrs. Lewis), and I can't wait to get started. I will have to balance reading that book with some of the book titles that appear in this story. Not only is this an engaging and interesting story, but it talks to story creation and how reality influences imagination (and vice versa). Don't miss this book.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Megs Devonshire, on scholarship at Oxford, is brilliant with numbers and equations, but not so much with things that can't be solved by facts. So when her younger brother George, who is dying of a heart condition, reads C.S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe and wants to know where Narnia came from, Megs is determined to find the answer for him. She tracks down Mr Lewis and asks him, but instead of giving her the straightforward answer she wants, he begins telling her stories of his life. She tells those stories to George, and each week she goes back for more. She finally learns to accept that not all answers can be solved with math and science, and she learns the value of getting lost in a good story.
This book was so good. It really transported you to Worcester, England 1950. I enjoyed reading about C.S.Lewis's life in this manner.... as a story, told in bits and pieces to a college student, for her to tell her sick little brother. If you are a fan of historical fiction, or just a really good story, then you will enjoy this one.

This is a story about George, or is it?
This is a story about Jack, or is it?
This is a story about Megs, or is it?
It’s all of these and more. This is a story about stories, and I loved every second of it.
This book tells the story of Megs, and how she learned to tell stories, as well as listen to stories. But is C.S. Lewis telling her the stories she wants to hear or is it the stories she needs to hear?
This was a nice easy read, and it made me smile and it made me sad.
Thank you to NetGalley for an e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest review

This was a wonderfully written book that had flashes of pure magic!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Harper Muse through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, Harper Muse.

I will be buying a copy for my bookshelf.

Once upon a wardrobe, not very long ago and not very far away. . . This new release from Patti Callahan is pure magic. It may be her best book yet. Just ask Douglas Gresham, stepson of C.S. Lewis. His note at the end of the book is most definitely a feather in the author's cap. Remember that thrill you felt when you first read the Narnia books? This new title about the formation of that world brings back that feeling again and multiplies it. I was weeping during the final pages. Such a beautiful, evocative story. It is not just about Megs and her brother George. Nor is it primarily about C.S. Lewis and his formative years. This book is about all of us. The lion roars in all of our lives -- He is from the beginning of time. This is a book for rereading and for gifting. One of my favorite reads of 2021, without a doubt!

Thank you to Harper Muse and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

I started this book thinking - what more could she tell us after "Becoming Mrs. Lewis"? I loved that book and the way she tells her stories - you can see them in your mind as you read. I was so glad I read this one too!

This is one of those rare books that takes you through all the feels - from laughter and joy to tears and weeping at the end. This is one of those books you turn to again.

The perfect book for lovers of C.S. Lewis and those who believe that Narnia lives outside the covers of a book!

Although I love C.S Lewis and The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, this book didn't really grab me. Essentially this is a story about the power of stories. But a story needs a compelling narrative to drive it, and for me this was lacking. I skimmed through the second half, so I won't be posting on line.

I really enjoyed this book. It was well written with good character development. I think the author did a great job with the characters of Jack & Warnie Lewis, based on all that I have read about them.