Title: Becoming Mrs. Lewis
Author: Patti Callahan
Format: Paperback*
Publication Date: October
2, 2018
Genre: Historical Fiction
My Rating: 5
Goodreads Synopsis
In a most improbable
friendship, she found love. In a world where women were silenced, she found her
voice.
friendship, she found love. In a world where women were silenced, she found her
voice.
From New York Times
bestselling author Patti Callahan comes an exquisite novel of Joy Davidman, the
woman C. S. Lewis called “my whole world.” When poet and writer Joy Davidman
began writing letters to C. S. Lewis—known as Jack—she was looking for
spiritual answers, not love. Love, after all, wasn’t holding together her
crumbling marriage. Everything about New Yorker Joy seemed ill-matched for an
Oxford don and the beloved writer of Narnia, yet their minds bonded over their
letters. Embarking on the adventure of her life, Joy traveled from America to
England and back again, facing heartbreak and poverty, discovering friendship
and faith, and against all odds, finding a love that even the threat of death
couldn’t destroy.
bestselling author Patti Callahan comes an exquisite novel of Joy Davidman, the
woman C. S. Lewis called “my whole world.” When poet and writer Joy Davidman
began writing letters to C. S. Lewis—known as Jack—she was looking for
spiritual answers, not love. Love, after all, wasn’t holding together her
crumbling marriage. Everything about New Yorker Joy seemed ill-matched for an
Oxford don and the beloved writer of Narnia, yet their minds bonded over their
letters. Embarking on the adventure of her life, Joy traveled from America to
England and back again, facing heartbreak and poverty, discovering friendship
and faith, and against all odds, finding a love that even the threat of death
couldn’t destroy.
In this masterful exploration
of one of the greatest love stories of modern times, we meet a brilliant
writer, a fiercely independent mother, and a passionate woman who changed the
life of this respected author and inspired books that still enchant us and
change us. Joy lived at a time when women weren’t meant to have a voice—and yet
her love for Jack gave them both voices they didn’t know they had.
of one of the greatest love stories of modern times, we meet a brilliant
writer, a fiercely independent mother, and a passionate woman who changed the
life of this respected author and inspired books that still enchant us and
change us. Joy lived at a time when women weren’t meant to have a voice—and yet
her love for Jack gave them both voices they didn’t know they had.
At once a fascinating
historical novel and a glimpse into a writer’s life, Becoming Mrs. Lewis is
above all a love story—a love of literature and ideas and a love between a
husband and wife that, in the end, was not impossible at all.
historical novel and a glimpse into a writer’s life, Becoming Mrs. Lewis is
above all a love story—a love of literature and ideas and a love between a
husband and wife that, in the end, was not impossible at all.
My Thoughts…
Have you ever read about someone and wondered
what their life was really like? Seriously
wondered, so much that you day dream about it?
What is life like for a famous singer, actress or athlete? That’s what Becoming Mrs. Lewis felt like, a
daydream about a love story.
what their life was really like? Seriously
wondered, so much that you day dream about it?
What is life like for a famous singer, actress or athlete? That’s what Becoming Mrs. Lewis felt like, a
daydream about a love story.
Luckily, Patti Callahan is way more informed about C.S. Lewis and Joy
Davidman than I am about most of my day dream subjects. Honestly, who doesn’t want to know what it’s
like to be Lebron James, George Clooney, or Oprah? Ms. Callahan doesn’t have to
wonder, because she so thoroughly researched both individuals. The story moved so well, that I can honestly
assume this book is a factual representation of their lives.
Davidman than I am about most of my day dream subjects. Honestly, who doesn’t want to know what it’s
like to be Lebron James, George Clooney, or Oprah? Ms. Callahan doesn’t have to
wonder, because she so thoroughly researched both individuals. The story moved so well, that I can honestly
assume this book is a factual representation of their lives.
There were times, reading this book, that I really did feel
Joy’s pain. I went into this book
thinking it was about C.S. Lewis and the woman he married. I was so wrong. This was a story about a woman, like so many
women, who had to balance her career, motherhood, health, and an increasingly
difficult love life. She succeeded, she
failed, she laughed, she cried, she was us every day.
Joy’s pain. I went into this book
thinking it was about C.S. Lewis and the woman he married. I was so wrong. This was a story about a woman, like so many
women, who had to balance her career, motherhood, health, and an increasingly
difficult love life. She succeeded, she
failed, she laughed, she cried, she was us every day.
The beauty of Joy’s story is that it is our story, but in post-war England, with professional writers, and a little bit of Narnia.
The Characters…
The character being based off of real people is
one of the great things about this type of historical fiction. People I have heard of my whole life come
alive for me based on documents and accounts of their lives.
one of the great things about this type of historical fiction. People I have heard of my whole life come
alive for me based on documents and accounts of their lives.
CS Lewis, or Jack, was no exception. I didn’t know as much about his wife, but her
character was no less vivid. I
empathized with so many of her feelings, as they were described so fully and in
such beautiful detail.
character was no less vivid. I
empathized with so many of her feelings, as they were described so fully and in
such beautiful detail.
* Special thanks to Patti Callahan, Thomas Nelsom, and TLC Book Tours for providing a copy of Becoming Mrs. Lewis in exchange for an honest review.
Purchase Links
Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble
This sounds like a great read – lovely review! I like how structured it is! Mine are usually a bit all over the place, because I can't contain my emotions and keep rambling on lol:D
Thanks! You must have found me on a good day lol. I'm usually going on and on about whatever is in my head. 🙂
Thanks for being on the tour!
Thanks so much for having me! Loved the book!