My review...
This is the first book I have read by Callahan. It is
labeled as historical fiction, but it reads like a memoir of author Joy
Davidman and her relationship with C.S. Lewis, which began as penpals in 1946. Joy describes herself as an atheist, and she
is in a loveless marriage to William Lindsay Gresham. After reading an article,
she decides to contact Lewis with her questions about God and religion, in
general. Thus began an unlikely correspondence that led to more than either
expected.
The writing flows in this first-person narrative, but things
unfold a bit slower than anticipated. The slow pace stays steady
throughout, and that fact could cause some readers to put the book aside,
unfinished. Things do pick up a bit later on in the story. Fact and fiction are
woven in, and there are numerous quotes from the Chronicles of Narnia. There is
a list of books at the end for further reading, which is a nice addition. The
Christianity angle was not as prominent as I had anticipated, based on of the
blurb and numerous reviews. I didn’t know much about either of these real-life
people prior to this book, and I have a bit more of an understanding now.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher
as part of the BookLook Bloggers Program. I wasn’t required to leave a positive
review.
