This beautifully written book details the growing friendship between Joy David and C.S. Lewis, culminating in their marriage. In the early 1950s, Joy was unhappily married to Bill, an alcoholic and unsuccessful writer. She was also a writer herself. Born Jewish, later an atheist, and even a communist at one point, she found God one night while waiting for Bill to come home. She then struggles to keep the marriage together out of some sense of Christian duty. She begins a correspondence with C.S....

Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan Henry, published by Thomas Nelson in 2018, tells a fictionalized version of the love story between Joy Davidman and C.S. Lewis. I've been meaning to read Becoming Mrs. Lewis for ages, and I was wildly curious to see how Callahan approached the subject matter. While I did like the story and appreciated how Joy’s particular challenges were presented, I struggled to stay fully invested. The relationship itself is fascinating, and their initial correspondence...

I absolutely adore the origin story of this book: when a friend asked Patti Callahan Henry what she would write about if she could write about anything at all, the answer came instantly: Joy Davidman. Years later, *Becoming Mrs. Lewis* is the stunning result of that simple conversation.In this captivating biographical novel, Henry masterfully recounts how the brilliant American poet and mother, Joy Davidman, ultimately became the wife of C.S. Lewis. While I *thought* I was already familiar with ...

Okay, so I seem to be in the minority here with my rating of "Becoming Mrs. Lewis" by Patti Callahan Henry, but I just didn't love it. If I wasn't reading it for book club, I honestly would have DNF'd it (Did Not Finish). I was just frustrated and, frankly, bored. It felt like Patti Callahan Henry couldn't decide if "Becoming Mrs. Lewis" was supposed to be a biographical novel, Christian fiction, or some kind of fluffy chick lit. That combo just didn't work for *me*. As far as book reviews go, t...

Brutal. I'm genuinely disappointed and finally decided to stop reading *Becoming Mrs. Lewis* at page 320. I just couldn't take the drivel anymore! The italicized thought of Joy mid-page 320 “or take me in your arms and set me down on that bed and make love to me” actually made me roll my eyes. I seriously doubt that either C.S. Lewis or Joy Davidman would want things like that included. My main issue, besides the mediocre writing (which made it easy to skim large chunks), was with the portrayal ...

It started off okay, but this book, Becoming Mrs. Lewis, is severely lacking in one thing: Jesus. It feels like the author only understands the motions of religion and forced human tradition, rather than actually knowing Jesus.I feel like this has been heavily researched, but I seriously question Joy's—and even C.S. Lewis's—actual Christianity if this book, Becoming Mrs. Lewis, is entirely true. The characters represented here don't resonate with actual Christians who have read the Bible, rather...

This is going to be less a review and more just me explaining how emotionally scattered I was while reading "Becoming Mrs. Lewis" by Patti Callahan Henry. I think most people have heard of C. S. Lewis and his Narnia books, but very little about Joy, his only wife. That's what drew me to this book in the first place. I had such mixed feelings. I liked it, I didn't like it, found it repetitive at times, and fascinating at others. I grew frustrated with all the spirituality and philosophizing; the ...

I have to say that *Becoming Mrs. Lewis* took me completely by surprise. Honestly, I think sometimes when I approach a book about real people, in this case C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman, I can't help but ask myself, "Okay, which one is going to be the jerk?" But Patti Callahan Henry unfolds the story of their meeting of the minds as much as that of the heart. People, this book is #relationshipgoals, the kind our mothers and fathers hope we'll encounter as we travel the road of love. A seventeen-ye...

This is something truly special! 5 stars! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Patti Callahan Henry is one of my absolute favorite authors. How do I know? I own all her books, and a few are "saved" unread for the book apocalypse. You know, I'm totally prepared for that. So, when I heard she was writing historical fiction for the first time, and that it involved C.S. Lewis, I was completely on board. Joy Davidman is the main character. The book opens with her life as a wife and mother, and I immediately sensed that so...

Completely drew me in, kept me up all night, and left me feeling utterly joyful. Need I say more?But in case you’re not already convinced to grab this beautiful book for your reading list, let me add that Patti Callahan Henry's writing is so breathtaking at times that, as a writer myself, I had to stop and reread a particular turn of phrase. As magical as the writing is, though, the true magic of *Becoming Mrs. Lewis* lies in the revelation of the man behind the stories we all know and the woman...