Becoming Mrs. Lewis: The Improbable Love Story of Joy Davidman and C.S. Lewis by Patti Callahan

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"Becoming Mrs. Lewis" by Patti Callahan is about C.S. Lewis and his wife, Joy Gresham. I found it to be a fascinating tale of historical fiction, weaving truth and fancy while leaving the integrity of the real people. Callahan made you feel Joy's feelings, allowing you to follow her journey from struggling in an abusive marriage to following her heart to England and eventually rebuilding her life there. 

I really enjoyed the characters that Callahan portrayed. From Joy with her deep-set feelings to her ex-husband Bill with his disappointment and rage, you feel like this is a biography rather than historical fiction. Her sons are lively and real. C.S Lewis is made to be human, rather than a figure of grandeur (although Joy's perspective often gives him a larger-than-life depiction in her love for him).
image via BookLook
Joy, for me, was sometimes a hard character to swallow. I'm not used to fictionalize characters being so real (this was tricky because this character was part real, part fictionalized). She struggled to surrender to Christ, to truly understand his love for her and that he would be the only thing to fill the void in her. And her indiscretions were not what one usually reads in a Christian novel. However, I like that she was written with sin, that Callahan did not canonize her, leaving her character flat and false. We all struggle and to read of someone's struggles is humbling and relatable. 

If you are a C.S. Lewis fan, you'll enjoy learning more about this aspect of his life. How she was a muse for him in much of his writing. I really appreciated how their love story unfolded, slow as it was at times. It was real, agonizing, and deep to the end.
If you enjoy a good (and complicated) romance, this one is definitely complicated. But there is such joy to find in it!

You can find "Becoming Mrs. Lewis" by Patti Callahan on AmazonSmile.

Disclaimer: I received this book in order to write an honest review. My opinions may differ from others' opinions. You will find links here to AmazonSmile and if you purchase through this link, you will be supporting Emmaus Biblical Seminary in Haiti.

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