Book Review: Once Upon A Wardrobe by Patti Callahan

I was mistaken about this book being a quick read. There were days I didn't read for various reasons but one of the things that had me reading at a slower pace is the fact that I was afraid if I read too quickly that I would miss something. I finally had enough and sped up my reading speed because I couldn't stand not knowing how things unfolded any longer.

Once Upon a Wardrobe is enchanting and inspirational. Like The Chronicles of Narnia, it draws you into a world of imagination and discovery. I came away changed in many ways. This is a story inside a story inside another story.

A girl, Megs and her brother, George are seeking the answer to one question; "Where did Narnia come from?" George begs his sister to ask C.S. Lewis himself that question. Because there is no one Megs loves more than George and knowing he doesn't have long to live, she sets out to find the answer to that question. Instead of Mr. Lewis giving her a simple answer to that question, he begins to tell her stories. 

She takes the stories back to George and reads them to him. When he hears the stories, his mind and imagination transport him into the world of story where he can see things as clearly as if he is right there watching in the very room. 

I have some favorite quotes I want to share. 

​"There are books enough to find a thousand worlds. You can play in the woodlands or write home or mend your socks. It is only for lack of imagination that you are bored."

"These stories make us remember something we forgot. They make a young boy want to hop out of bed and see the ruins of a castle. These kinds of stories wake us up."

"Grief is the price I paid for loving fiercely, and that was okay, because there was no other choice but to love fiercely and fully."

This book made me want to reread all of the Narnia books and so many other things that C.S. Lewis wrote. It made me excited to read with a new outlook, to look for those hidden stories inside of the story. I felt so many emotions as I read the last quarter of the book. A book that can pull that much out of me deserves to be shared with others. 

Check out her website for more information on her books: Patti Callahan Henry