A masterpiece by Patti Callahan Henry. Not only does this book give a history of the life of the incredible C. S. Lewis, but also entwines his story with that of a dying boy who loves the book, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, and is trying to discover the location Mr. Lewis used as his model for the fictional Narnia.

The boy’s sister undergoes a search for the answer to her brother’s question and learns invaluable lessons about life and the importance of stories. A must read!!!

When young George is curious to find out the origins of his favorite book, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, his sister, Meg, decides to find out the true story behind the book and where the idea came from. She tracks down the book's author, C.S. Lewis, and the tale is told from there in vignettes back and forth between George and the childhood of C.S. Lewis and the secrets of Narnia. Enjoyable story about how the famous book came to be. Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Muse for an advanced copy.

Author Patti Callahan has long wondered about the origin of the world of Narnia of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and she explores this curiosity in her new book, Once Upon a Wardrobe. In this novel, Callahan creates the back story by exploring the early life of the Ireland native, author C.S. Lewis.

To tell this story set in December of 1950 in Worcester, England of how Narnia came to be, Callahan has created a brother and sister, George and Megs Devonshire. Eight-year-old George has a heart condition that could end his life at any time. Megs is a student at Somerville College, part of Oxford University, where Lewis teaches. George charges Megs with finding out, “Where did Narnia come from?” From the author’s imagination is not an answer George wants to accept.

Megs starts to hang out around the author’s home in hopes of catching him long enough to find out the answer. Instead, the author’s brother invites her into their home so she can ask Lewis her important question. Soon, Megs becomes a regular visitor to the Lewis home where she is entertained with stories about the brothers’ childhoods. She shares these stories with George when she returns home to Worcester regularly instead of staying in Oxford.

Megs and George put together the pieces of the Lewis brothers’ lives shared in story-form to figure out some answers for themselves. Fans of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as well as of Callahan’s books will be sure to add this enchanting tale to their to-be-read pile.

This is Callahan’s second book about C.S. Lewis as she wrote Becoming Mrs. Lewis in 2018 about his wife, Joy Davidman. A former pediatric nurse, Callahan is a co-creator and co-host of the weekly podcast Friends and Fiction on Facebook. She is a full-time author, wife, and mother of three with homes in both Alabama and South Carolina.

My review will be posted on Goodreads starting August 31, 2021.

I would like to thank Harper Muse, an imprint of HarperCollins Focus LLC, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.

BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL book! When a writer attempts to expand upon a world so widely loved it can be hit or miss. To say that Callahan hits a home run is an understatement. In this beautifully written book, Callahan gives us the story of Megs Devonshire who will do anything for her sickly brother George. Like so many others, George finds himself captivated by the world C.S. Lewis created in his book The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. As George is largely confined to his bed, the story provides the ultimate escape for him. In wanting to understand the how and why behind the story George begs Megs to talk to Mr. Lewis and find out the answers to his questions. What Megs discovers in her talks with Jack and his brother is more than the how and why but that answers aren't always black and white. Magic and love weave through the story like an old familiar blanket. Callahan's writing in this book provides a stirring tribute to the whimsy and fantasy that so captivated audiences in Lewis's books. This book belongs on the same shelf as the Chronicles of Narnia series.
I received a copy of this title via NetGalley.

4.5 Stars

Megs Devonshire loves mathematics, equations, and physics. She finds it comforting and exhilarating to solve a problem and know that there’s only one correct answer to the question. She’s a student on a scholarship at Oxford.
George is her eight-year-old brother with a weak heart and a lively spirit. He knows the limitations of his health and finds pleasure in escaping to the fantasy lands of the books. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by C S Lewis, has enchanted George, and the kid asks his loving elder sister to help find an answer to his simple question- Where did Narnia come from?
“With stories, I can see with other eyes, imagine with other imaginations, feel with other hearts, as well as with my own. Stories aren’t equations.”- qoute
Megs is not sure if she can go and ask Lewis the question. But she finds a way for her brother. After all, she’ll do anything she can to give him what he wants.
But Jack Lewis and his brother aren’t the ones to provide straightforward answers. Instead, he tells her about his childhood and life, asking her to listen and share them with her little brother. Megs is frustrated but has no choice but to agree.
As Jack continues with his tales, Megs understands what he intends. He wants her to look at the world from a different lens. The world doesn’t fit into mathematical equations, and Megs realizes that it’s a futile attempt.
“The way stories change us can’t be explained,” Padraig says. “It can only be felt. Like love.” -qoute
Maybe there’s more to life than maths and physics. Maybe imagination, stories, and equations are not opposites. Maybe stories and science can co-exist and actually complement each other.
George embraces the stories with eagerness, and Megs is still conflicted about whether she should give equal importance to the imagination. Yet, she can’t help but feel hope blooming inside her. Can she wish for a miracle?
This is my first book by the author, and I can say for sure that I love her prose. As someone who wants strong imagery in stories but without a thesaurus, I’m always delighted when an author paints a vivid scene using simple words.
The story is warm with a constant undertone of melancholy. We know what could happen by the end of the book. Still, we can’t help but hope. There is pain, death, fear, and sadness. However, overpowering these emotions is the strong presence of love. Love in all its glorious forms.
It’s been a while since a book moved me as much as this did. So much that I even marked a few favorite quotes (an old forgotten habit of mine).
I’m so glad that I requested this book. It fills my heart with warmth even though there’s enough pain. Tears blurred my vision more than once, and I had to stop reading to take a couple of deep breaths. It’s been so long since a book did that to me!
“There is a light, a bright lantern light where all stories begin and end.” -qoute
To Sum Up, Once Upon a Wardrobe is a beautiful book that takes us to Worcestershire, Oxford, Ireland, and the distant lands of magic and myth. This is a book I’ll recommend to bookworms, storytellers, and just about everyone.
Thank you, NetGalley and Harper Muse, for the ARC.

I’ve read several books by Patti Callahan and she is a gifted author. Once Upon a Wardrobe is another great book. This story really makes the reader think about the meaning behind the words an author uses and how it relates to our own lives. I may have also gained a better understanding of stories about myths, magic and fairy tales and why they may be important to read, not normally a genre I do. While I’m well acquainted with who C. S. Lewis is and the books he wrote, I’ve never actually read any of them. I now most certainly will read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe having read this book along with Becoming Mrs. Lewis.
Once Upon a Wardrobe give us a better understanding of C. S. Lewis the man and the ideas behind his books, through the fictional story of George, a young boy who is seriously ill and his sister Meg, a 17 year old college student studying physics. George has read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and wants to know where Narnia came from and asks his sister to speak with Lewis and ask him, as he is a professor at Oxford where she attends. Through a series of visits with slews and his brother Warnie, Meg not only discovers her own love of storytelling but some of the answers for George as she shares Lewis’s stories and discussions with him.
It’s a wonderful book, I loved it and definitely recommend it. Thank you netgalley and publisher Harper Muse for an early copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book explores more than the creation of Narnia. It is a beautiful look at love, family, grief, life a d death. It is amazing.

Thank you to Harper Muse publishing for the gifted digital copy from NetGalley.

This historical fiction pulls back the curtain on the early life of C.S. Lewis.

The language of the author reminded me of the wonderful Narnia books. I felt as if I was right there with the characters.

Highly recommended for fans of Narnia. And yes, I would love to give this novel as gifts to readers who loved Narnia.

“Once upon a wardrobe, not very long ago, and not far away” in the town of Oxford, England, Megs Devonshire followed the winding, icy path to The Kilns, the home of the famous author, C.S. Lewis. His newest book The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, was hugely popular, and her brother George was obsessed with the land of Narnia. Megs was desperately hoping to find the courage to speak to Mr. Lewis and ask, “Where did Narnia come from?” Desperate because her 8-year-old brother, George, didn’t have long to live and he wanted to know. Megs, an introverted physics student ruled by logic and equations, not fairy tales, was boosted by her deep devotion and love for George. Mr. Lewis or Jack, and his older brother, Warnie, welcomed Megs into their common room with worn leather chairs, books piled high and a roaring fire to warm her. Thus, Megs begins frequent visits to The Kilns and walks about the woods with Jack and Warnie as her questions lead to accounts of the death of his mother at age 9, the horrible Wynyard School, and his time in the army at The Somme -all told by the genius with wit; Jack wants Megs to just listen and take notes later. This quest to find the beginnings of Narnia will lead to much, much more-for readers, for George, and Megs.
As Megs returns to George’s sickbed to retell the stories shared by Jack and Warnie, George and readers are anxious for her to keep sharing. Megs is becoming quite a storyteller and readers realize that through stories one can see ‘reality from new angles.’ Megs is enthralled, becomes distracted from her exams, and finds herself in the Bodleian Library searching for Phantastes, a fantasy novel by Scottish writer George MacDonald, that Jack claims “baptized his imagination!” A lesson Megs learns from George is that all fairy tales have a bad part, a scary part-just as in real life. George is helping Megs to cope with his illness as much as she is helping him by sharing Jack’s stories. Patti Callahan weaves history through Jack’s life stories so Megs finds out about Operation Pied Piper, when in 1939 children were brought to The Kilns from London to escape The Blitz. This novel shines a glowing lantern of compassion on Clive Sterling Lewis and his efforts to comfort the children with his stories and a home along with his deep empathy for their parents during this time of separation. (Children coming from London to live with a professor, sound familiar?)
The only gift George wishes for this Christmas 1950, is a trip to Ireland to visit Dunlace Castle. Will his wish be granted? Will he find out where Narnia came from? Come along on this “Grand Adventure” to see if you hear “the lion’s roar” as Patti Callahan unravels mysteries of the universe and the magic of hope in Once Upon A Wardrobe-an outpouring of love and enlightenment.

England, 1950. Megs is brilliant with numbers and studying at Oxford. She likes facts, so the fairytales don’t resonate with her.

Her younger sibling, George, has a weak heart and doesn’t have long to live. He becomes captivated by the story of Narnia and wants his sister to find out where Narnia came from.

C.W. Lewis, the author of Narnia, holds an academic position at Oxford. Megs path crosses with his brother and she becomes a regular visitor at two brothers’ place, where Jack Lewis tells her stories, which she later tells her brother. Stories that evoke an imagination and give hope.

In flashbacks, we learn about two brothers’ childhood. Jack himself was a sickly child, spending a lot of time at home, reading books. His rich imagination was encouraged by his older brother.

From the first pages the story evokes human emotions and despite one having a limited lifetime, it seems as the warmness is hidden in this whole magical story. What disconnected me was two parallel stories of two dying people (the brothers’ mother died of cancer). I found it too overemotional. Afterwards, I wasn’t fully connected with the story despite its magical tone.

Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan is such an amazing book. I love Patti Callahan's writing and her storytelling is transcendent. In the story we are transported to Worcestershire, England 1950 where we meet eight-year-old, George Devonshire who knew his Doctors couldn’t heal him, and he didn’t have much time left with his family. A little light in his life occurs when George finds a book called The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. He is intrigued by the lion on the cover. Little did George know this book would change his outlook on life and everything he knows. This magical story transported him from his bed into Narnia – “where it’s always winter but never Christmas. Where animals can talk, and the back of a wardrobe opens to another world.” It was so mysterious! George wanted to know more.

He can’t wait to share this story with his sister Megs. She didn’t believe in magic, but her brother did. He had a request of her, since she had heard of this author, “The professor who wrote about this magical place, was real, and he lives only a train ride away in Oxford, where Meg goes to school. This man would know the answers to George’s questions.” George wanted to know, “Where did this land of the lion, white witches, and fawns and beavers and castles come from?”

This was quite a request for Megs, but she would do anything for George, so she would find a way to ask his questions, “Was Narnia real?” She wondered why this mattered to her brother.

This is an enchanting story that gives readers a peek into the childhood of C.S. Lewis. This is a delightful, and heart-wrenching tale which unfolds as readers follow the journey of George and Megs as they get to know C.S. Lewis better.

The stepson of C.S. Lewis, Douglas Gresham, is quoted at the end of the book, “In this amazing book Patti’s portrayal of my stepfather C.S. Lewis or “Jack” as he preferred to be known, comes once more to life, and he shows a very full understanding of what is needed to make us understand a little less carelessly, what the world expects of us, no, indeed demands of us until finally we get there!”…“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 and that, deeply moved me. I agree with Douglas Gresham this book is magical. At the end, there are discussion questions and a note from the author, which I always look forward to.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse Publishing for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Chronicles of Narnia has influenced the lives of countless readers. I've read and reread C.S. Lewis's famous series as a child and then again as an adult. Patti Callahan's book, Once Upon a Wardrobe allowed me once again to reenter the world of Narnia. This time I saw Narnia through the eyes of Megs Devonshire and her young brother George.

Megs is a student at Oxford who is obsessed with numbers and logic. She sees everything through this lens. Her young brother, George, views the world through his imagination. George is very sick, and yet he lives life fully through his books and drawings. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a portal for him to another world, one where he can have an adventure in a wintry wonderland and conversations with a faun.

George wants Megs to find out the origin story of Narnia by speaking with C.S. Lewis, a professor at Oxford. His sister's conversations with "Jack" Lewis transform her view of the world as much as her brother's.

I learned so much about C.S. Lewis, his brother Warnie and their childhood from reading this wonderful book by Patti Callahan. It is also so atmospheric and creates such snowy scenes, that I could almost feel the chill in the air and see the flakes fall despite the fact there is currently a heatwave where I live!

I highly recommend reading this book when it comes out on October 19, I already look forward to rereading it and also diving into Becoming Mrs. Lewis. Thank you to Patti Callahan, Harper Muse and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ahead of its publication date.

A terminally ill brother and his beloved sister, who, in the process of granting his final wish, are set on one unforgettable journey. Callahan's deeply meaningful tribute to C.S. Lewis captures the imagination and whisks readers away with George, Megs, and the Lewises. And the bonds between siblings becomes as unbreakable here as they do in Narnia itself

A beautiful story, beautifully written. I wholly enjoyed this story of hope and adventure, along with the greater look into C.S. Lewis' infamous books. Highly recommended, even if you haven't yet read The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.

Once upon a wardrobe, not so very long ago and not so far away... This is how each story begins that Megs tells her sickly brother, George. We are in the late 1940's after World War 2 near Oxford. Megs is a student and her younger brother has a heart condition. He's enthralled with the newly published The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. He is able to imagine being in Narnia with all the characters, but he has just one question, "Where does Narnia come from?"

Megs sets out on a journey of friendship with C.S. Lewis, or Jack, and his brother Warnie. She wants to find out where Narnia comes from so she can fulfil her brother's wish. However, Jack will not give her a straight answer. The reader is then taken on a journey through Jack's young life in school and war through Megs eyes as she tries to find the Narnia answer for George.

This tale is about love, fear, grief and most importantly, the magic of imagination. Patti Callahan is a masterful storyteller, and I was hooked from the very beginning. Probably the best book I have read all year, I highly recommend this for young and old alike!

Thank you Harper Muse and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are mine.

This is a book that after you read you need to think about it, I read that after awhile one should reread it and not normally what I do, but definitely agreed with this book. It’s a magical ride basic on the book The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Set in 1950, 8 year old George is dying. He journeys outside his room through books, his favorite The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. He questions where did Narnia come from? His sister who is a student at Oxford decides to question the author who wrote the book and teaches at one of the Universities in Oxford. Finally gathering up her courage she gets to meet Mr. Lewis, but doesn’t get a answer for George.
One wonders where the story is going along with Meg. I saw the movie many years ago with my kids, so I was lost in parts of the story. I will read the book and then reread Once upon a Wardrobe. As in this book I now have questions and that is why it’s a great read. Be forewarned have tissues handy. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story.

4.5 stars

I have never read Narnia and this is my first read by Patti Callahan. What an amazing writer she is!

This was truly an escape in the magical world of children’s tales. I enjoyed each page and believed every word! I liked getting to know C.S. Lewis also known as Jack and I am now interested in reading Becoming Mrs. Lewis.

Where do stories come from? Does imagination take root in reality?

This is a story of a brother/sister relationship I recommend for Christmas as it will warm your heart! And I can’t rave enough about the wonderful Canadian cover.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me a complimentary e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

"Once Upon a Wardrobe" is set in 1950 in England. The scenes mostly focused on Megs gathering stories from C.S. Lewis about events in his life that contributed to the story "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." These were then told to her brother, who understood their importance more than Megs, the logic one. There were also scenes of her talking with a literature major about the importance of stories (specifically, fairytales). He felt that Meg's maths and physics may explain the universe, but stories give soul-soothing meaning to the cold, hard facts. Not a whole lot of time was actually spent developing the family relationships or, really, any characters except C.S. Lewis and maybe Megs. It seemed more of a philosophical debate than about these specific people. I didn't really feel attached to the characters (though that's just as well since the brother didn't get a happy ending).

There was no sex or bad language. Overall, this was an interesting way to learn more about how different events in C.S. Lewis' life may have influenced his Narnia stories.

ONCE UPON A WARDROBE by Patti Callahan is a heartwarming and magical story of a sister’s love for her dying brother and the power of stories to transform us and bring us together. Set in 1950 in Worcester, England, this beautifully-written book held me captive from beginning to end. Megs Devonshire, a scholarship student studying Physics at Oxford, believes in numbers and equations, not emotions and feelings. But Megs would do anything for her beloved eight-year-old brother, George. Unfortunately, she can’t fix the failing heart that will cut his life short. George is a big fan of The Lion, the Witch, and The Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis and he has only one urgent request of his big sister. Go meet with the famous author who is a tutor of English Literature at Oxford and find out where Narnia came from. Knowing she can’t refuse, she seeks out “Jack” Lewis and so begins a poignant and unexpected friendship with Jack and his brother, Warnie, where they share with Megs the stories of their lives that Megs then shares with George using stories of her own. I was totally enchanted by this heartfelt book. The characters were brilliantly portrayed and the relationship between Megs and George was so endearing. ONCE UPON A WARDROBE is a heartwarming and hopeful story that won’t soon be forgotten. Highly recommended! Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the pleasure of reading an early copy.

Callahan (Becoming Mrs. Lewis) once again provides a bird’s-eye view into the life of renowned author/scholar C.S. Lewis in this delightful look at his inspiration for The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. In 1950 Worcestershire, England, eight-year-old George Devonshire spends much of his time in his room as his heart condition prevents him from enjoying the pursuits of the average eight-year-old boy. George has recently discovered and becomes enamored with C.S. Lewis’s novel, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. When his seventeen-year-old sister Megs returns home from her mathematics studies at Oxford, he asks her to contact C.S. Lewis, an Oxford professor, to uncover his inspiration for the novel. Meg adores George and agrees to his request, resulting in multiple visits to the Kilns, the home C.S. “Jack” Lewis shares with his brother Warnie. But rather than providing Megs with a succinct explanation about the inspiration for his novel, Jack chronicles stories of his life growing up in Ireland, including the untimely death of his mother, Jack’s experiences at boarding school, and fighting in World War I. Megs diligently takes notes on Jack’s stories and shares them with George who delights in every word. Though Megs is sometimes frustrated by Jack’s willingness to give clear answers about the book’s inspiration, she begins to understand how Jack’s life shaped the popular book. Megs develops a friendship with Padraig, a fellow Oxford student impressed by her efforts on behalf of her brother. The moments they share become intertwined with a mutual quest to fulfill George’s wish to visit Dunluce Castle in Ireland, a place Jack visited as a child with his mother. Callahan’s remarkably realistic characters highlight the magic of Lewis’s well-known novel and the possibility of how the events of his life shaped the narrative. Readers will be impressed by this insightful story and the power of books to transport readers to another dimension.