Home › Family Life › Once Upon a Wardrobe

Once Upon a Wardrobe

by Patti Callahan

Stories, siblings, and the question of Narnia

Regular price $17.50 USD
Regular price $29.17 USD Sale price $17.50 USD
Save 40%

Paperback New

Delivery to your door
In stock·Dispatches in 1–2 business days
Standard shipping* from $4.35
Standard shipping transit* 5–8 business days after dispatch

Faster options are available.

Rates and delivery estimates depend on your destination and item quantity. Estimates are informational only; the final shipping method and rate are selected at checkout.

Secure checkout
American Express Apple Pay DiscoverGoogle Pay Mastercard PayPalVisa
30-day eligible returns Returns & refunds policy

Awards & Recognition

  • Author recognition

    New York Times bestselling author

AlbakiReads Editorial

Stories, siblings, and the question of Narnia

Set in 1950, the novel brings together Megs Devonshire, a mathematics and physics student at Oxford, her younger brother George, and C. S. Lewis. When George asks where Narnia came from, Megs approaches Lewis for an answer; his accounts of his own life become part of the siblings’ conversations at home. The story links Megs’s commitment to logic with George’s imaginative engagement with books, while drawing on Lewis’s life alongside the fictional family narrative. Its central question is not only about the origins of a fantasy world, but about how stories become part of the way people understand one another.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Readers interested in historical fiction featuring C. S. Lewis and the world around the creation of Narnia.
  • Those drawn to stories about sibling relationships and the role books play within a family.
  • Book-club readers interested in fiction that combines biographical material with an imagined narrative.

Themes

Sibling bondsImagination and reasonThe influence of storiesBiography and fiction

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

Now available in trade paper with an eye-catching new cover! For everyone who has fallen through the wardrobe door, experienced the magic of Narnia, and longs to know more, New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan delivers a heartfelt story that is simultaneously a fascinating look into the bond between siblings, a peek behind the curtain of Lewis's personal life, and an homage to 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."

Once Upon a Wardrobe is a captivating historical novel that deftly combines fact and fiction. It's an emotional journey into the books and stories that make us who we are. It's perfect for book clubs, for anyone who has ever longed to know more about Narnia, and for anyone whose life has ever been impacted by a story.

Shipping & returnsShipping options, delivery timing, and our return policy.

In-stock items normally dispatch within 1–2 business days. The ZIP-code estimator on this page is informational only; the final shipping method, price, and availability are confirmed at checkout for your full order.

For the initial delivery estimate we use these transit windows after dispatch: Standard 5–8 business days, Expedited 2–4 business days, and Priority 1–2 business days. Holiday delays are not included.

Eligible items can be returned within 30 days in accordance with our return policy.

Customer reviews

M
AlbakiReads
Malaika Taylor

I highly recommend to for anyone looking for inner clarity

T
AlbakiReads
Thomas DiMassa

Great service and fast service

Great shopping experience! The book arrived quickly, was well packaged, and matched the description perfectly. I would definitely shop with you again

O
AlbakiReads
Olivia

Smooth.