Once Upon a Wardrobe

Now available in trade paper with an eye-catching new cover from the bestselling author of Becoming Mrs. Lewis: College student Megs Devonshire sets out to fulfill her younger brother George's last wish by uncovering the truth behind his favorite story. What transpires is a fascinating look into the bond between siblings and the life-changing magic of stories.

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 shares 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.

After holding so tightly to logic and reason, her brother's request leads Megs to absorb a more profound truth: "The way stories change us can't be explained. It can only be felt. Like love."

  • Now available in trade paper with a gorgeous, eye-catching new cover!
  • From the New York Times bestselling author of The Secret Book of Flora Lea
  • A captivating, stand-alone historical novel combining fact and fiction
  • An emotional journey into the books and stories that make us who we are that is perfect for book clubs

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320 pages

Average rating: 8.56

64 RATINGS

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2 REVIEWS

Community Reviews

LMahoney
Jan 26, 2024
8/10 stars
Not my usual genre of books but this was lovely. I didn't think I'd cry so hard at the end but I was downright sobbing. Beautifully written.
margardenlady
Dec 27, 2023
8/10 stars
This was a delightful history of C. S. Lewis, told in the context of a loving big sister finding out where Narnia is for her terminally ill little brother. In the process of asking questions of the author, Lewis tells Megs stories of his life, providing her back story that she shares with her brother. Were brought along with the story and in the process we get too know these siblings and Lewis.

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