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| Genre: Historical Romance Publisher: Thomas Nelson Released: Oct. 2, 2018 432 pages |
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.
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.
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.
My Rating & Thoughts: 🌟 🌟 (2 stars)
I wanted to read this book because I was interested in learning about CS Lewis’s wife – Joy. I did not know much about his personal life before reading this book. However I struggled with this story. I was tempted to stop reading so many times, but forced myself to keep going and finish it. I was hoping it would get better the further I got in, but it didn’t. I found the story to be slow and Joy got on my nerves. Yes she had faced some hard times and led a depressing life, but she seemed self-centered, always feeling sorry for herself and making it seem like life was against her rather than a result of some of her life choices.
I realize this is a fictionalized version of the relationship between Joy and Jack, but there were so many actions that felt inappropriate that I became annoyed with both characters and began to question the respect that I had for CS Lewis. I was surprised at the amount of swearing, drinking and sexual references that were included.
I did enjoy the descriptions given of Oxford, after recently visiting the area I found it easy to picture what was being described. I hate to give any book a negative review but I cannot recommend this book.
(I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley.
Opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinion and completely my own.)
I realize this is a fictionalized version of the relationship between Joy and Jack, but there were so many actions that felt inappropriate that I became annoyed with both characters and began to question the respect that I had for CS Lewis. I was surprised at the amount of swearing, drinking and sexual references that were included.
I did enjoy the descriptions given of Oxford, after recently visiting the area I found it easy to picture what was being described. I hate to give any book a negative review but I cannot recommend this book.
(I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley.
Opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinion and completely my own.)
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