(At the end of the novel, I attach a suggested reading list for readers who want to know more).Īlso, I tackled the task with love. Often, we come to know historical figures through fictional narrative, and then, if we so desire, we can go deeper and farther into their lives. Also, Joy was with me in her words, her letters, her poetry, and her essays. I believe in the power of story to tell a truth, and that carried me through.

This cognitive dissonance was a constant juggling act as I researched and wrote for years. Mostly I told myself that I was just writing another novel. How did you set about the arduous task of representing two historical figures who inspire strong opinions?ĭaunting indeed! I dealt with loads of anxiety as to what and who I was really writing about. The genre of fictional biography must have been daunting. I want the world to know the woman not behind Lewis but next to him-the brilliant writer, the wife, the mother, and the eros-love he called his “whole world.” I felt, bone deep, that I needed to tell her story in a narrative that would bring her to life beyond the factual biographies (which are interesting and informative) and her public image as the dying wife of C. Her brave personality, her indomitable spirit, and her no-holds-barred attitude joined me in my writing room. She said, “If you don’t write that, I will.” My friend’s face broke into a broad smile. I hadn’t consciously admitted it to myself even once. Lewis’s wife, Joy Davidman,” I said without any forethought. One night, with a group of my writer pals, someone asked, “What would you write about if you could write about anything?” Creativity and writing have always been my worship, my simple way of understanding God and the world as best I can, and yet after 12 novels, I was floundering with how to proceed.

Years ago, I’d hit a dead-end in the work I was doing. It was easy to tell that Joy Davidman is a major passion project of yours. Novelist Rachel McMillan spoke with Callahan about her take on this remarkable romance.

Lewis, lifts Davidman from behind the shadow of her famous husband, shining a spotlight on her spirited personality, her accomplishments as a writer, and her profound wrestling with the mysteries of God and life. Lewis: The Improbable Love Story of Joy Davidman and C. Patti Callahan is the author of over a dozen critically acclaimed novels.

Surprised by joy cs lewis movie