Becoming Mrs. Lewis Read online

  ACCLAIM FOR PATTI CALLAHAN

  Becoming Mrs. Lewis

  “Patti Callahan seems to have found the story she was born to tell in this tale of unlikely friendship turned true love between Joy Davidman and C. S. Lewis, that tests the bounds of faith and radically alters both of their lives. Their connection comes to life in Callahan’s expert hands, revealing a connection so persuasive and affecting, we wonder if there’s another like it in history. Luminous and penetrating.”

  —PAULA MCLAIN, NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE PARIS WIFE

  “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 divorcee, 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

  “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, AUTHOR OF I WAS ANASTASIA

  “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. KNIGHTLY

  “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

  The Bookshop at Water’s Edge

  “With an eloquent and effective narrative, a realistic continuing theme of unbreakable relationship bonds, and a fantastic multilayered story line of secrets, regrets, and a good dose of teenage drama, this is a solid summer read . . . [a] low-country treasure of new beginnings and an old mystery.”

  —LIBRARY JOURNAL

  “A look at what family really means, and how the past affects the present in so many ways. The writing is superb.”

  —RT BOOK REVIEWS

  “A great summer read about finding yourself and returning home.”

  —POPSUGAR

  “Henry creates a world that feels rich and real—readers can practically hear the rushing river, see the ocean waves, and smell the hydrangea bushes . . . [an] atmospheric look at friendship, forgiveness, and second chances.”

  —KIRKUS REVIEWS

  “This is a great beach read of the Dorothea Benton Frank and Anne River Siddons variety.”

  —BOOKLIST

  “The Bookshop at Water’s End carries us along the graceful curves and outwardly serene story line of two childhood friends returning to their summer riverside home. But like the river she writes about, Patti’s plot roils with strong undercurrents of murky secrets, tragedy, and the pulsing tides of self-discovery. No one writes about the power of family and friends like Patti Callahan Henry. The Bookshop at Water’s End is a must-read for your summer!”

  —MARY ALICE MONROE, NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF BEACH HOUSE FOR RENT

  “I adore Patti Callahan Henry’s new novel. The Bookshop at Water’s End is a juicy summer read about family secrets, forgotten friendships, and the power of books to change our lives.”

  —JANE GREEN, NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE SUNSHINE SISTERS

  “Patti Callahan Henry’s stories are always woven with magic and mystery, and The Bookshop at Water’s End knots these elements into a deeply satisfying and heartfelt tale of loss and betrayal, friendship and forgiveness. The sun is shining, the tide is turning, summer and Patti Henry’s latest masterpiece beckon. Resistance is futile!”

  —MARY KAY ANDREWS, NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE WEEKENDERS

  “From the very first page, Patti Callahan Henry draws you in like the tide, revealing long simmering secrets that will test family and friendships and explores the question: do we tell our stories or do our stories tell us? In lush, lyrical prose, Henry explores the power of forgiveness, especially in ourselves. Every page was
a treat.”

  —LAURA LANE MCNEAL, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF DOLLBABY

  “Patti Callahan Henry has written the best novel of her career with The Bookshop at Water’s End. I absolutely adored it and predict it will be one of the most loved books of the year. In fact, it’s so good I wish I’d written it myself!”

  —DOROTHEA BENTON FRANK, NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF SAME BEACH, NEXT YEAR

  OTHER BOOKS BY PATTI CALLAHAN

  The Bookshop at Water’s End

  The Idea of Love

  The Stories We Tell

  And Then I Found You

  Coming Up for Air

  The Perfect Love Song

  Driftwood Summer

  The Art of Keeping Secrets

  Between the Tides

  When Light Breaks

  Where the River Runs

  Losing the Moon

  Friend Request (with Barbi Callahan Burris)

  Becoming Mrs. Lewis is a work of fiction. All incidents, dialogue, letters, and all characters with the exception of some well-known historical figures, are products of the author’s imagination and not to be construed as real. Where real-life historical persons appear, the situations, incidents, and dialogues concerning those personas are entirely fictional and are not intended to depict actual events or to change the entirely fictional nature of the work. In all other respects, any resemblance to persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.

  Becoming Mrs. Lewis

  © 2018 by Patti Callahan Henry

  All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

  Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc.

  Extracts by C. S. Lewis copyright © C.S. Lewis Pte. Ltd. Extracts by Joy Davidman copyright © D & D Gresham. Reprinted by permission.

  Thomas Nelson titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail [email protected].

  Epub Edition August 2018 9780785218081

  ISBN: 978-0-7852-2450-1 (hardcover)

  ISBN: 978-0-7852-2843-1 (hardcover signature edition)

  ISBN: 978-0-7852-2581-2 (international edition)

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  CIP data available upon request.

  Printed in the United States of America

  1819202122LSC54321

  To Joy and Jack

  With great love

  The consolation of fairy-stories, the joy of the happy

  ending; or more correctly of the good catastrophe,

  the sudden joyous “turn” . . . is one of the things

  which fairy-stories can produce supremely well.

  J. R. R. TOLKIEN, “ON FAIRY-STORIES”

  Contents

  Acclaim for Patti Callahan

  Other Books by Patti Callahan

  Prologue

  Part I: America Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Part II: England Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Part III: America Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Part IV: England Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Chapter 54

  Chapter 55

  Epilogue

  A Note from the Author

  Acknowledgments

  Discussion Questions

  About the Author

  PROLOGUE

  “You would not have called to me unless I had been calling to you.”

  ASLAN, THE SILVER CHAIR, C. S. LEWIS

  1926

  Bronx, New York

  From the very beginning it was the Great Lion who brought us together. I see that now. The fierce and tender beast drew us to each other, slowly, inexorably, across time, beyond an ocean, and against the obdurate bulwarks of our lives. He wouldn’t make it easy for us—that’s not his way.

  It was the summer of 1926. My little brother, Howie, was seven years old and I was eleven. I knelt next to his bed and gently shook his shoulder.

  “Let’s go,” I whispered. “They’re asleep now.”

  That day I’d come home with my report card, and among the long column of As there was the indelible stamp of a single B denting the cotton paper.

  “Father.” I’d tapped his shoulder, and he’d glanced away from the papers he was grading, his red pencil marking students’ work. “Here’s my report card.”

  His eyes scanned the card, the glasses perched on the end of his nose an echo of the photos of his Ukranian ancestors. He’d arrived in America as a child, and at Ellis Island his name was changed from Yosef to Joseph. He stood now to face me and lifted his hand. I could have backed away; I knew what came next in a family where assimilation and achievement were the priorities.

  His open palm flew across the space between us—a space brimful with my shimmering expectation of acceptance and praise—and slapped my left cheek with the clap of skin on skin, a sound I knew well. My face jolted to the right. The sting lasted as it always did, long enough to stand for the verbal lashing that came after. “There is no place for slipshod work in this family.”

  No, there was no place for it at all. By the time I was eleven I was a sophomore in high school. I must try harder, be better, abide all disgrace until I found a way to succeed and prove my worth.

  But at night Howie and I had our secrets. In the darkness of his bedroom he rose, his little sneakers tangling in the sheet. He smiled at me. “I’ve already got my shoes on. I’m ready.”

  I suppressed a laugh and took his hand. We stood stone-still and listened for any breaths but our own. Nothing.

  “Let’s go,” I said, and he laid his small hand in mine: a trust.

  We crept from the brownstone and onto the empty Bronx streets, the wet garbage odor of the city as pungent as the inside of the subway. The sidewalks dark rivers, the streetlights small moons, and the looming buildings protection from the outside world. The city was silent and deceptively safe in the midnight hours. Howie and I were on a quest to visit other animals caged and forced to act civil in a world they didn’t understand: the residents of the Bronx Zoo.

  Within minutes we arrived at the Fordham Road gate and paused, as we always did, to stare silently at the Rockefeller Fountain—three tiers of carved marble children sitting in seashells, mermaids supporting them on raised arms or sturdy heads, the great snake trailing up the center pillar, his mouth open to devour. The water slipped down with a rainfall-din that subdued our footfalls and whispers. We reached the
small hole in the far side of the fence and slipped through.

  We cherished our secret journeys to the midnight zoo—the parrot house with the multicolored creatures inside; the hippo, Peter the Great; a flying fox; the reptile house slithering with creatures both unnatural and frightening. Sneaking out was both our reward for enduring family life and our invisible rebellion. The Bronx River flowed right through the zoo’s land; the snake of dark water seemed another living animal, brought from the outside to divide the acreage in half and then escape, as the water knew its way out.

  And then there was the lions’ den, a dark caged and forested area. I was drawn there as if those beasts belonged to me, or I to them.

  “Sultan.” My voice was resonant in the night. “Boudin Maid.”

  The pair of Barbary lions ambled forward, placing their great paws on the earth, muscles dangerous and rippling beneath their fur as they approached the bars. A great grace surrounded them, as if they had come to understand their fate and accept it with roaring dignity. Their manes were deep and tangled as a forest. I fell into the endless universe of their large amber eyes as they allowed, even invited, me to reach through the iron and wind my fingers into their fur. They’d been tamed beyond their wild nature, and I felt a kinship with them that caused a trembling in my chest.

  They indulged me with a return gaze, their warm weight pressed into my palm, and I knew that capture had damaged their souls.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered every time. “We were meant to be free.”

  PART I

  AMERICA

  To defeat the darkness out there, you must defeat the darkness in yourself.

  ASLAN, THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER, C. S. LEWIS

  CHAPTER 1

  Begin again, must I begin again

  Who have begun so many loves in fire

  “SONNET I,” JOY DAVIDMAN