—Library Journal, starred review
“Readers familiar with the life and work of C. S. Lewis will relish learning about the woman who inspired some of his most famous books. Others will find the slow burn of the romance between the two mesmerizing. All fans of women’s fiction, particularly works with religious themes, will appreciate reading about this vibrant and intelligent woman.”
—Booklist
“Callahan （The Bookshop at Water’s End） vividly enters the life of a woman searching for both God and romantic love in this pleasing historical novel about writer and poet Joy Davidman . . . Making full use of historical documentation, Callahan has created an incredible portrait of a complex woman.”
—Publishers Weekly, starred review
“In Becoming Mrs. Lewis, Patti Callahan Henry breathes wondrous fresh life into one of the greatest literary love stories of all time: the unlikely romance between English writer C. S. Lewis and the much younger American divorcée, Joy Davidman. Callahan chronicles their complex and unconventional relationship with a sure voice, deep insight into character, and eye for period detail. The result is a deeply moving story about love and loss that is transformative and magical.”
—Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Orphan’s Tale
“Patti Callahan’s prose reads like poetry as she deftly unearths a lost love story that begs to be remembered and retold. I was swept along, filled with hope, and entirely beguiled, not only by the life lived behind the veil of C. S. Lewis’s books but also by the woman who won his heart. A literary treasure from first page to last.”
—Lisa Wingate, New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours and The Book of Lost Friends
“Becoming Mrs. Lewis is at once profoundly evocative, revealing an intimate view of a woman whose love and story had never been fully told . . . until now. Patti Callahan brings to life the elusive Joy Davidman and illuminates the achingly touching romance between Joy and C. S. Lewis. This is the book Patti Callahan was born to write. Becoming Mrs. Lewis is a tour de force and the must-read of the season!”
—Mary Alice Monroe, New York Times bestselling author of Beach House Reunion
“Patti Callahan has written my favorite book of the year. Becoming Mrs. Lewis deftly explores the life and work of Joy Davidman, a bold and brilliant woman who is long overdue her time in the spotlight. Carefully researched. Beautifully written. Deeply romantic. Fiercely intelligent. It is both a meditation on marriage and a whopping grand adventure. Touching, tender, and triumphant, this is a love story for the ages.”
—Ariel Lawhon, New York Times bestselling author of I Was Anastasia and Code Name Hélène
“Patti Callahan took a character on the periphery, one who has historically taken a back seat to her male counterpart, and given her a fierce, passionate voice. For those fans of Lewis curious about the woman who inspired A Grief Observed, this book offers a convincing, fascinating glimpse into the private lives of two very remarkable individuals.”
—New York Journal of Books
“Becoming Mrs. Lewis illuminates the raw humanity of seeking faith in a distrustful world. We’ve heard C. S. Lewis’s narrative. Here, Callahan keenly demystifies poet Joy Davidman’s story and, in the telling, shows us the power of a greater love. I was wonderstruck by this novel.”
—Sarah McCoy, New York Times and international bestselling author of Marilla of Green Gables and The Baker’s Daughter
“This finely observed accounting of writer Joy Davidman’s life deeply moved me. Patti Callahan somehow inhabits Davidman, taking her readers inside the writer’s hungry mind and heart. We keenly feel Davidman’s struggle to become her own person at a time （the 1950s） when women had few options. When Davidman breaks free of a crushing marriage and makes the upstream swim to claim her fullest life, we cheer. An astonishing work of biographical fiction.”
—Lynn Cullen, bestselling author of Mrs. Poe
“With an artist’s touch, Patti has woven flesh and bone onto an unlikely love story and given us a glimpse into a beautiful and storied romance. I read this through an increasing sense of awe and admiration. By the final page, I realized Patti had crafted an intimate and daring literary achievement.”
—Charles Martin, USA TODAY bestselling author of Long Way Gone and The Mountain Between Us
“This book is a work of art. Intelligent. Witty and charming. Becoming Mrs. Lewis is a stunning foray into the wilds of faith—from doubt and discovery to the great adventure of living it out. Patti Callahan’s invitation into Joy and Jack’s love story is as brilliant as the lives they led. I’m left as spellbound as the first time I met Aslan . . . with these characters now just as dear.”
—Kristy Cambron, author of The Ringmaster’s Wife and the Lost Castle series
“In Becoming Mrs. Lewis, Callahan peels back the curtain and allows a glimpse into Joy Davidman’s extraordinary life and her love and marriage with C. S. Lewis. With captivating prose, Callahan carries the reader across the ocean from New York to Oxford and into the private heart of this tender love story.”
—Katherine Reay, bestselling author of Dear Mr. Knightley
“In this unforgettable story of love and passion, piercing intellect and the power of the written word, Joy Davidman has come to claim her own resurrection, and the results are astonishing. Patti Henry has achieved a bold literary magic: Becoming Mrs. Lewis heals the cracks in the firmament of our hearts.”
—Signe Pike, author of The Lost Queen and The Forgotten Kingdom
“It’s all here: Bill’s betrayals. Joy’s boundless hope. Davy and Douglas, energetic but vulnerable. The faithful Oxford don used by God. Jack and Joy, arguing over a kiss. In a novel awash with authenticity, we learn their story through the voice of Mrs. C. S. Lewis. I suspect the man himself would say of Patti Callahan, ‘She’s a corking good writer.’”
—Carolyn Curtis, coeditor of Women and C. S. Lewis: What His Life and Literature Reveal for Today’s Culture （Lion Hudson, Oxford）
Surviving Savannah
“Fans of Christina Baker Kline and Kate Quinn will love this beautiful, richly detailed novel about a lost bit of American maritime history. In a seamless blending of fact and fiction, Patti Callahan has created an atmospheric, compelling story of survival, tragedy, the enduring power of myth and memory, and the moments that change one’s life.”
—Kristin Hannah, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Great Alone and The Nightingale
“In Surviving Savannah, Patti Callahan masterfully weaves a little-known historical tragedy, an enigmatic mystery, and a searing family saga into a mesmerizing tale that will captivate readers until the last page and beyond.”
—Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Girls of Paris
“The astonishing story of the ‘Titanic of the South’ is brought to vivid life . . . This tale of survival, love, and loss, as well as Callahan’s epic portrayals of a trio of strong, passionate women, gripped me from the very first page. Simply masterful.”
—Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Lions of Fifth Avenue
“Through the interwoven tales of three courageous women, Surviving Savannah grips the reader in a spellbinding novel full of mystery, tragedy, sacrifice, and resilience. Layering painstaking research with evocative prose, Callahan has penned an utterly transportive read while illuminating a heart-wrenching yet largely forgotten slice of American history. Superb.”