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A review by serendipitysbooks
Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Once Upon a Wardrobe is the story of 17 year old Megs Devonshire and her younger brother George. He has a heart condition and doesn’t have long to live but is captivated by the book The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and desperately wants to know where Narnia came from. Megs isn’t much for stories - she’s studying mathematics physics at Oxford and is more into facts and equations - by will do anything for her beloved brother. In this case that involves staking out C.S. Lewis’s house and eventually having many chats with him where he shared the story of his life.
I loved the bond between Megs and George, the way Megs came to love stories and to see their power and value, the portrayal of Oxford, plus the sweet low key romance. I also liked the way George’s family eventually came to see what he could do, rather than being so focused on his illness and what he couldn’t do - such a valuable lesson. On an intellectual level it was interesting learning a little about Lewis’s life and seeing how those experiences may have made their way to Narnia.
I loved the bond between Megs and George, the way Megs came to love stories and to see their power and value, the portrayal of Oxford, plus the sweet low key romance. I also liked the way George’s family eventually came to see what he could do, rather than being so focused on his illness and what he couldn’t do - such a valuable lesson. On an intellectual level it was interesting learning a little about Lewis’s life and seeing how those experiences may have made their way to Narnia.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness
Moderate: Child death