Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan

 I started reading this one  December 28 and finished it January 19, so it is my first read of 2025.  I am a fan of CS Lewis and recently have been trying to read through various of his classics as I have time.  This is a new author to me and one I will want to read more by because I absolutely enjoyed this.  It is historical fiction, based on the life of American writer, poet, Joy Davidson and her love story spanning decades with CS Lewis.  I knew nothing of her before reading this, then realized she was the reason he wrote A Grief Observed.  .This expanded edition, published in 2020 is 192 pages ending in an Epilogue.  The author also has notes, acknowledgements,  2 pages  of "10 things you probably didn't know about Joy Davidson and CS" (the last 3 questions appear below in  this post) and some discussion questions for those who are reading in a group.  I will add this book to the collection of CS Books on my shelf, it's a keeper.  And a 5 ***** read..  

It opens with a prologue in 1926 when the family lived in Bronx, New York. Joy's father, of Ukrainian descent is a teacher who demands perfection and is harsh.  At the age of only 11 she is already a sophomore, but never good enough for him.  At night she and her 7 year old brother sneak out and go to the Bronx Zoo where she pets a lion. Chapter 1 begins in 1946 in Ossining, NewYork....."The world it changes in an instant.  I've seen it over and over the way which peopleforge through the days believing they have it all figured out, protected inside a safe life.  Yet there is no figuring life out, or any way that protects us from the tragedies of the heart."  In a quick summary Joy has been an atheist, then converted skeptical Christian and married to Bill in a tumultuous marriage.  He is an alcoholic and abusive, a cheater, but she tries to persevere.  She write to CS and in 1950 he answers her letter from England.  This was back when people wrote letters.  This begins years of contact as penpals, becoming friends.  Joy will go to England alone in 1952 leaving her two sons behind with her husband, their father and her cousin who had come to live with them.  She is not in the best of health and hopes to recuperate while staying with a friend and continuing to write. She will meet CS in person.   Ultimately she will return to America, her visa is expired.  But she will divorce Bill and return to England with her sons.  She will have deep personal friendship with CS and his brother Warnie.  They will ultimately marry but keep it a secret of sorts and continue to live separately. As a divorced woman, she was not acceptable to the Church of England.   Joy will become ill and in the hospital they will marry again, the ceremony prepared by a priest and former student of CS, making it legal  in the eyes of the church.  She will never return to the US and CS will ultimately adopt her sons as his own. 

The author will reference this as  "the improbable love story" and after reading this, I couldn't have said it better.

Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris

 "Sold on a Monday was inspired by a photograph in a 1948 newspaper of four children sitting by a sign which read 4 children for sale. "  I read this historical fiction novel in September 2021 but set it aside to post here.  It has been a best seller but I waited to get it at the book sale.    A heart wrenching tale about life back in the Depression era told through  a young rookie reporter Ellis Reed. 

This is from the author's website and succinctly summarizes the story...'The sign is a last resort. It sits on a farmhouse porch in 1931, but could be found anywhere in an era of breadlines, bank runs, and broken dreams. It could have been written by any mother facing impossible choices.  or struggling reporter Ellis Reed, the gut-wrenching scene evokes memories of his family's dark past. He snaps a photograph of the children, not meant for publication. But when it leads to his big break, the consequences are more devastating than he ever imagined.  At the paper, Lillian Palmer is haunted by her role in all that happened. She is far too familiar with the heartbreak of children deemed unwanted. As the bonds of motherhood are tested, she and Ellis must decide how much they are willing to risk to mend a fractured family.   Inspired by an actual newspaper photograph that stunned the nation, Sold on a Monday is a powerful novel of love, redemption, and the unexpected paths that bring us home. "  https://www.kristinamcmorris.com/sold-on-a-monday

 Original photo Chicago newspaper
August 4, 1948

This was a tale we  hear about, the times when people were forced to make awful decisions,  We might wonder how could they, yet hunger and  severe need force the situation.  I gave this book about 4 ****  It was haunting and yet a subject recently appearing in other novels.  I wish my now passed on relatives were around to tell me  similar tales, what they experienced growing up without anything. Rough times what would we  who are so accustomed to prosperity do? 

Here are the first 2 pages of chapter 1  actually pages 5 & 6 . Because of the length of time since I read this I cannot comment  more.

  

The Painter's Daughter by Julie Klassen

Al;though I was unfamiliar with her and do not usually read this genre of romantic novels, I read this book and a few others by Julie Klassen, a MN author after she came to town to speak at the Library. That was back in 2016 and recently I noticed I had not included it here.  It is a tale of love, betrayal, trust,  family, forgiveness just as the complimentary bookmark that came with it describes.  I found it easy reading and not as trite as I had expected.  In fact, it was a good diversion for me.  

I learned from Julie's talk that she is almost exclusively drawn to the era of the 1800's in England for her novels and has traveled there multiple times, meeting characters who may resemble some in her books.  It was fascinating to learn how the covers are chosen and how much work goes into that almost as much as the novel.  From the others who attended the talk, she is a very favorite author for many women who read all her books and anticipate the next one. 
There is usually a moral to the story and always a distinct choice between right and wrong, etc.  One small excerpt from pg 58, "Would she and Captain Overtree have children together?  Sophie wondered.  It seemed difficult to imagine when he would barely look at her, let alone touch her.  But he was a man of faith, apparently.  So might he help her raise the child she already carried to love and fear the Lord?  She hoped so--if he lived.  Even though faith had not played a role in her upbringing, she wanted it for her own child."  That gives a hint of the story line.  As I recall I did enjoy reading this book and have since read a few on my Kindle app.  

The back cover is a good preview and shows the countryside.  The author, Julie Klassen claims to love all things Jane from Jane Eyre to Jane Austen..I give this book 3 ***, entertaining, and well written.

A Dangerous Fortune by Ken Follett

  Paperback Back and front cover 

I purchased this paperback to take with me  on my European trip along the Danube in November and December.  It went along all those miles and remained right in my tote bag as a companion, I never did open it other than on the flight to Amsterdam.  But recently I opened it and was drawn in as always with Ken Follet's fictional sagas.    Yesterday I was "resting" taking first doses of antibiotics for a UTI so that was how I read through and finished it, all 568 pages, it kept my attention, so I could remain at rest, curled up with a good book and so the afternoon passed easily.  

This work about the fictional Pilaster banking family begins in 1866...from the beginning, Follet sets a scene that will work its way through generations and the primary characters. Page 1, ""On the day of the tragedy, the boys of Windfield School had been confined to their rooms. It was a hot Saturday in May and they would normally have spent the afternoon on the south field, some playing cricket and others watching from the shady fringes of Bishop's Wood.  But a crime had been committed.  Six gold sovereigns had been stolen from the desk of Mr. Offerton, the Latin master, and the whole school was under suspicion."    In another few lines we meet Micky Miranda and Edward Pilaster, two friends, students.  Their  friendship will remain lifelong through years and events and the attachment will become deadly over decades.  

I enjoy Follet's works and this one was first published in 1993. His characters are reflective of all human traits, good and bad,  adorable and detestable.  It's difficult to pin one word to the genre, some reviews reference  "political and amorous intrigue, cold blooded murder, gripping complex plot, fascinating characters, financial crises" but consistently reviews applaud "old fashioned entertainment."   

Hugh Pilaster is the unworthy cousin whose father died disgraced and who is generously taken in by his uncle Joseph and aunt Augusta, a character who makes Cruella deVille seem angelic. But Hugh is the essence of a man who will always do the right thing, while cousin Edward, son of Augusta and Joseph is a weak character at best, a pervert at worst.  Kind of a Cinderella tale of male cousins, and in the end good triumphs.  The story based in London, reaches to a  fictional South American country, Cordova, and the  nitrate mines there amidst extreme political disruptions.  Scenes weave from ballrooms to board rooms to brothels to the exclusive men's clubs in London.  The Pilaster family legacy of success holds intrigue, deception, tragedy, triumph all the while reflective of wealth of the times, the influences,  and the impact of markets across the ocean in America and globally.  Besides Augusta, Mickey Miranda is a true devious villain character and another one who opposes Hugh.  There are several other characters all with different  attributes.  What I enjoy about Follett's work is his characters are revealed in depth,  they are  lifelike, some detestable, some shaky, some likeable.  Humanity portrayed back in time perhaps not so different today.. 

The last  lines of the novel, "But it was over now.  The debts were paid. If there had been an evil spirit it had returned to the bottom of the pond.  And Hugh had survived.  He stood up.  It was time to return to his family.  He walked away, then took a last look back.   The ripples fom the stone had disappeared and the surface of the water was immaculately still once again. "  

This is a 5 ***** read, an excellent novel that kept my attention til the end.