Once Upon a Wardrobe

(Paperback, ITPE Edition)

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Description

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 its just a book for children, andcertainlynot true. Homebound due to his illness, and remaining fixated on his favorite books, George presses her to ask the author of the recently released novelThe Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobea 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 farther in his imagination than he ever could in real life.

Lewiss 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 brotherthe story behind Narniaturns 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
• Includes discussion questions for book clubs

Reviews

''Once Upon a Wardrobe' is a beautiful follow-up to 'Becoming Mrs. Lewis.' It's a love letter to books and stories with a meaningful message. Megs and her family learn that fantastical tales are more than mere ways to appease young children. Stories are nourishment for the souls that need joy the most, and sometimes they're the only thing that can help us understand life.' * The Washington Post *
'This beautiful and soul-touching book is about death and dying, but it also reminds us that new chapters remain for those of us who are left behind.' * Historical Novel Society *
'Patti Callahan's powerful and captivating new novel ponders how the events in C.S. Lewis' life, particularly his childhood, inspired him to create the magical and mythical world of Narnia and the cast of characters inhabiting it . . . Readers will reach for it again and again, eager to be reminded that love will prevail and imagination leads people down fantastical paths. Some books are read and forgotten soon after; others linger forever in one's mind, popping up from time to time when something relevant sparks the memory. ONCE UPON A WARDROBE is certainly the latter and will be cherished by anyone who reads it.' * BookReporter.com *
'Full of magic, nostalgia and a sister's love, Coben calls this novel 'a love letter to those of us obsessed with C.S. Lewis's Narnia series.'' * TODAY *

Author Bio

Patti Callahan (who also writes as Patti Callahan Henry) is a New York Times bestselling author. Patti was a finalist in the Townsend Prize for Fiction, has been an Indie Next Pick, twice an OKRA pick, and a multiple nominee for the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA) Novel of the Year. Her work has also been included in short story collections, anthologies, magazines, and blogs. Patti attended Auburn University for her undergraduate work and Georgia State University for her graduate degree. Once a Pediatric Clinical Nurse Specialist, she now writes full time. The mother of three children, she lives in both Mountain Brook, Alabama, and Bluffton, South Carolina, with her husband. Visit her online at patticallahanhenry.com; Instagram: pattichenry; Facebook: AuthorPattiCallahanHenry; Twitter: @pcalhenry.