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.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was one of my favorite books as a child and I couldn’t wait to read this book. It was everything I’d hoped and more. Eight-year-old George is terminally ill and spends his days lying in bed reading. He’s just finished a brand-new book called, “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” and it quickly becomes his favorite. He begs his older sister, Megs to seek out C.S. Lewis and find the answer to one question; where did Narnia come from? Lewis, ever the storyteller, reveals the answer slowly over a period of weeks through stories of his life. Thus in addition to the tale of George and Megs we are taken on a magical journey through the life of one of the greatest writers of the last century. George’s and Lewis’s stories are woven together in a seamless tapestry that will keep readers engaged throughout. Highly recommended. Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Muse for giving me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a wonderfully beautiful book! A lovely story of the strength of love between siblings. A fascinating look into the life of C S Lewis that has me yearning to revisit Narnia and all of its magic.

As magical as The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Patti Callahan's novel exploring the origins of C S Lewis' classic will become a classic of its own. Once Upon a Wardrobe is a magical book about the love a sister has for her dying brother, and her quest for answers to his need to know how real Narnia is. A heartwarming story about siblings and the magic of storytelling, this book explores the struggle between logic and imagination, along with the preciousness of life.

Thank you NetGalley and Ms Callahan for allowing me to read an ARC of this amazing book.

This was a heartbreaking, lovely homage to storytelling and family and the power of stories to carry us beyond ourselves... Callahan tells a beautiful tale of a little boy's quest to understand the source of the magic behind his favorite story - and of his sister's tireless efforts to provide him with the comfort he needs as his health fails. The writing is lyrical and the emotions heartfelt. The insights into the life of CS Lewis were very interesting to me, as was the picture of what it was to be woman and an Oxford scholar in the post-war years.

If you read The Chronicles of Narnia as a child like I did, then you can’t not love this book—I promise! Nostalgia coursed through me as I read Megs and George’s heartwarming tale, remembering the first time I read about another magical world on the other side of an ordinary wardrobe.

In an effort to do all that she can for her younger brother George, who has a serious heart condition and loves The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, big sister Megs approaches C.S. “Jack” Lewis himself to find answers for her brother. As a math student at Oxford, she is a bit uncomfortable approaching the literature professor, who kindly and in a round about way “answers” Megs’ questions about his fairy-tale.

In her regular meetings to help quench her homebound brother’s curiosity, Meg learns about Narnia, about Jack Lewis’ upbringing, and perhaps most importantly more about herself. With a small cast of interesting characters (Padraig was a favorite of mine) Patti Callahan weaves a tale of love, devotion, hope, and loss.

Out on October 19th, Once Upon a Wardrobe is a magical little story to add to your TBR pile. Get your tissues ready! Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Muse, and of course Patti Callahan for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A wonderful story about how C.S. Lewis created the magical and mystical land of Narnia. Megs Devonshire is a physics major at Oxford University at the same time that Lewis is a tutor at Magdalen College. Her young brother, George, has a congenital heart condition and is mostly confined to bed. He spends much of his day reading and receives a copy of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. He is bewitched by the land of Narnia and asks Meg to seek out Lewis and find out if Narnia is real. Meg meets Lewis and asks for him to tell her where Narnia comes from, but instead of a straight forward answer, Lewis tells tales of his childhood.
Patti Callahan tells a charming story that wraps Lewis' childhood and young adult experiences into the answers to a Young boy's question.
Recommended for fans of Callahan and fans of C.S. Lewis. Much of the stories of Lewis' life come from his biographies and his autobiography as well as other writings and Callahan's relationship with Douglas Grisham.

What an immersive, transporting story! The imagery Callahan created will not leave me any time soon. There were stories inside of stories, which is basically our life. We have a point of origin, but there was so much before and will be more after us.

A very sweet story! It will be particularly enjoyed by people who love historical fiction, CS Lewis, and gentle reads!

After first reading Becoming Mrs. Lewis and more recently reading Once Upon a Wardrobe, both by Patti Callahan, I researched to see if Callahan had some kind of connection to the Lewis family.  These novels are so well researched and written,  that one could be easily convinced that there is be some kind of familial connection between the author and C. S Lewis. While this doesn't seem to be the case, she does do a fantastic job making these historical fiction pieces believable. Once Upon a Wardrobe, immediately drew me.  The characters and the setting enhanced a story of the love a girl has for her dying brother and what lengths she goes to in order to learn the true answer to a question he posed to her about his favorite book. In her attempt to find that answer, this mathematician struggles with the vague "non-answers" she receives. She doesn't give up and in continuing, she builds a greater understanding of literature and a stronger bond with her brother. If you are a fan of Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia, this book is a must. This heartwarming story is probably Callahan's best book yet and you don't want to miss it.

Read if you: Want a gorgeous, heartwarming, and moving story about siblings, heartache, and the magic of storytelling.

I know many that admired Becoming Mrs. Lewis; I am one of them! But---I think this is a superior novel in all aspects. If you want a bighearted, beautiful, and heartrending story you can sink into, this is it.

Librarians/booksellers: This will likely be in demand. Your historical fiction fans and "gentle reads" fans will love it.

Many thanks to Harper Muse and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Once Upon a wardrobe, not very long ago and not very far away a little boy read a book and fell in love. This little boy is called George, he is 8, he is sick and needs answers. He reads about his wonderful world, its called Narnia, a land of fauns, kings, queens, and lions, where it is winter but never Christmas; he had an older sister to whom he gives the mission of seeking answers.

This is a beautiful and moving story, it gives you hope but at the same time, it's heartbreaking. George wants to know where Narnia comes from and he knows that he does not have much time, although he is not sad, he is prepared for it to happen, it is his family, parents, and sisters who cannot let go. I love the family, especially the bond between brother and sister, it was very sweet.

Megs is a smart young lady and very analytical she studies at Oxford University, the same place where Professor Lewis teaches. She will look for him and asking about Narnia, but instead of giving him an easy answer, he tells stories of his childhood and youth. Megs and George want a real answer, what they do not realize is that these stories are the birth of Narnia, it was not formed out of anywhere, it is a story that has accompanied the author all his life, is a story that was born from his life experiences.
He tells them stories about growing up, let imagination surround you, and find who you are.

I love reading about Megs and George, you feel the love they have for each other, and also to know a little about the young C.S. Lewis and his brother.

This is a story about siblings, love, hope, and imagination. Is a beautiful book, very touching, feels very real, if I had not read that it is fiction, I would think that this happened.

Where did Narnia begin? A young woman befriends C. S. Lewis to find the answer for her younger brother. The first book has just been released, and he has fallen in love with the story. Patti Callahan has written a novel that draws you in to the settings of England, Ireland, the Wars and Lewis' life. A book to be reread along with the original 6 books that Lewis wrote.

This was a very moving story for fans of C.S. Lewis and "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." The story is set in mid-century England where a young boy suffering and terminally ill asks his sister about the creation of Narnia. The characters were richly developed and full of detail.

“Good stories introduce the marvelous.”

George is nine years old with a very weak heart that keeps him housebound at all times. He spends his days reading his favorite story The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and wondering where it all came from. George begs his older sister Meg to find C.S. Lewis, who teaches near her school in Oxford, and to ask him where he got his inspiration for Narnia. We follow along as Meg regales George with the stories of Mr. Lewis’s life journey that brought him to writing George’s favorite book.

This story is both beautiful and heartbreaking. The author wrote a truly magical tale filled with wisdom and honesty. It shows how important stories are to growing our imaginations and molding our lives.

“By now he understood that all books worth loving were worth rereading over and over.”

I’ve reread the Chronicles of Narnia once but this book has reminded me how much I love them and I will definitely be rereading them again soon!

If you loved the Narnia series as much as I did, you should 100% put this on your list!

Big thanks to Netgalley and Haper Muse for this digital ARC!

If you loved The Chronicles of Narnia add this to your to be read list. I've read them several times since childhood and found Once Upon a Wardrobe to be a great companion book. It is heartbreaking at times but also lovely. I loved feeling like I was given a peak into how CS Lewis wrote The Chronicles. The relationship between brother and sister in the book was well written. This is Patti Callahan's best book so far!
Thanks to NetGalley for my copy of this book, I will be buying a hard copy to go on the shelf next to The Chronicles of Narnia.

From the beginning of this novel my imagination was transported far far away to the land of Narnia to find answers to questions that might never be answered. The love of a sickly brother named George brings Megs to the home of C S Lewis and his brother Warnie to try to find out these answers. What happens is Megs determination to find these answers for George since this is the only thing she can do for him. Meg who is skeptical when it comes to fantasy and finding out why things happen has a hard time trying to help George. She is a student of Math where things are easier to answer. Every weekend Meg is at the Kilins the home of the Lewis brothers and C. L "s stories of his life and how he came to become the person he is inspires Meg to write down everything he says. She then relays them to George who then has more questions until Meg and George connects the stories of Mr. Lewis's life to the story of Narnia. Patti Callahan writes a beautiful story of love and devotion between a brother and a sister.. While making the sister a true believer of the love of the book that George adores. I think George helps Megs grow up and teaches her how to deal with life after he is gone.
He pushes her to try and find the answers to his questions by listening to the wonderful stories that Mr. Lewis was telling while George illustrated what the stories meant to him. I have read many books by Ms. Callahan, and I think this by far is my favorite. The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe is one of my favorite novels, but her adding in the stories by C.L Lewis is bringing two stories together and making one big beautifully written book.
Thank you Ms. Callahan for a very touching and loving story and NewGalley for the ARC approval.

It is awfully challenging to write a review with tears still leaking out of one's eyes, but I will try to the best of my ability. Wow. This book. This book moved me in a way I am not sure I can describe. The main character and her beloved brother are so realistic and believable; I feel as if I am losing a friend just by being done with the book. The gradual change in character as Megs mind and heart grow is just beautiful, and I felt myself growing with her. I love reading the wisdom in such a brave and sweet young boy as George. The way C.S. Lewis/Jack's life is artfully woven into a narrative by the main character really does give so many more answers than a list can give. While I cannot exactly make a list of the way this book changed me and grew my own heart, I can definitely say that by the end, it made me so aware of how consistently and faithfully there has always been an Aslan at my back, watching over me through it all, and that one's testimony is more than just a story; it gives hope, life, and shows us the work of our Maker in a way that equations cannot. Thank you for writing this; I will be suggesting it to all my friends.

A different kind of book from Patti Callahan or at least different for me. A woman searches for "where Narnia came from" for her dying brother.