Becoming Mrs Lewis is a vivid portrait of the woman who inspired, and loved, the famed author and theologian CS Lewis. As Callahan points out in her Author’s Note, the women involved with famous male artists, authors, creatives, and other historical figures are too often ___ to the footnotes of the story. Here, Callahan allows Joy Davidman, also a writer, to step into the light. 

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I do think having background information in her relationship to CS Lewis is importing before reading the book. A lot of my fellow book club members expressed frustration over how slowly the romance developed (they don’t kiss until nearly the end of the book) and how the book focuses so much on Joy’s life and relationship before she and Lewis married. However, I knew from my time studying the Inklings in college how the story would end, and went into the book expecting just that. 

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If you like yearning, unrequited love, or slow burn type  romances, Becoming Mrs Lewis may be for you! However, don’t expect a simple historical romance; there is also tons of character development! Joy is messy, imperfect, impatient, jealous….. as another club member pointed out, the title is BECOMING Mrs. Lewis, capturing Joy’s transformation over the years of knowing CS Lewis.

Major content warning for domestic violence, alcoholism, cancer