Let’s Discover TWO Modern Day Family Inklings!!!
Friends! Just wait ‘til you learn what I’ve just discovered, thanks to two excellent books, both of which would make STELLAR Christmas gifts: one is non-fiction, and one is fiction. You’ll get to dive into the BEST of both worlds, each a delight.
First, I’ll show you the books, and then, I’ll share snippets about the first book, followed by some from the second book. You’ll have to hang with me to learn about “the Big Reveal” —which will cause you to join me in saying, “Why, these girls are Modern Day Family Inklings!” To which I add, “I declare, there are ZERO degrees of separation.” Oh, this is going to be good fun as the Brits say!
Here’s the non-fiction selection: Don’t Miss Out: Daring to Believe Life is Better with the Holy Spirit by Jeannie Cunnion
And here’s the novel: Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan Henry
First, let’s start with a few tidbits from Jeannie’s book, Don’t Miss Out. It has 30, short chapters. At the end of each chapter, you’ll find a section called, “Last but Not Least,” each with a “Reflect” part where you’ll be given a short exercise to connect the dots of the points in the chapter—sorta where “the rubber meets the road.”
The second part is called, “Respond.” If you have a Life Application Bible (a favorite tool of mine), Jeannie is our personal life application expert, helping us really grasp the gift and the power in the Holy Spirit in our daily lives. She includes thought-provoking questions as well as suggestions to try in your own faith journey.
Jeannie begins her book by sharing, quite candidly, how ironic it is she wound up writing a book about the Holy Spirit. Several times I laughed out loud, having had the exact same thoughts—many times forgetting He’s there in the first place! She says, “We settle for less than all of God.”
She adds,
“How have I been following Jesus since I was eight years old, faithfully attending church, and reading Scripture and attending more Bible studies than I can count, but somehow neglecting the very One Jesus said is to my advantage?”
We’re gifted with multiple Scripture to back up her points. I have many favorite chapters, many dog-ears and highlights, but I’ll just tell you about two of them so as not to give too much away. Chapter 14, He Gives Power to Us, offers two of several show-stopping questions:
“How can I live by the power of the Holy Spirit?” And
“How can I make Him feel more welcome in His own home? (Because you are His home.)”
Gulp…
Then she poses a tuck-your-toes-under-the-table-as-they’re-about-to-get-stepped on thought: “How much energy do we put into making sure our homes are decorated and cleaned so our family and friends experience it as a loving, welcoming, and enjoyable space?” Ponder that a moment….I’m telling you, these are just a hint of coming attractions…
Chapter 28, He Can Be Quenched, really stopped me in my tracks. Jeannie tells us about a friend of hers who she says can be best described as a “girl on fire.” She says this friend, “burns with love for Jesus and emanates the Holy Spirit’s presence.” Can you think of a friend like this? Don’t you want to be a friend like this? O, Lord, forgive our snail-paced trust in you…help us to BE ON FIRE…
Jeannie addresses one of our favorite foes: fear. She says, “When fear tries to grip us, let’s call aloud on the power of the Spirit inside us! I’m pausing here to pray with you now, ‘Jesus, make me fearless in your faithfulness!…’ The more we learn to live in the assurance that ‘the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world’(1 John 4:4), the more fearless we can become.”
Before we get to the next book, you need to know about Jeannie’s newest book, due out December 1st, Never Alone: Parenting in the Power of the Holy Spirit. It’s a 7-session study which helps you learn “how the Holy Spirit’s presence and power will transform how you lead and love your kids.”
Next up, let’s talk a little about Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan Henry
Note there’s an option on Patti’s website to download a “Book Club Kit,” which contains all kinds of information should your book club consider reading this book. Included in the kit are party ideas, a recipe, “Enchanting Narnia Facts,” discussion questions, etc. (This makes me want to start a book club!)
For you C.S. Lewis fans, remember Patti also wrote another novel, Becoming Mrs. Lewis, which a slew of my friends read, each of us talking non-stop about it. (Here’s the link to my review of it)
So, thru’ a series of curious events, I became connected to these two, ten-talent gals who happen to both be clever-as-ever writers… Take a gander at their photos (scroll back up to the beginning)…see any resemblance? Ah, my friend, yes indeed, they are SISTERS!!! (And, PK’s to boot!). This discovery was my most-fun-ever in connecting with authors…
I was immediately mesmerized by Patti’s newest novel, Once Upon a Wardrobe. The characters instantly become your friends and you’ll read with wide-eyed excitement because even tho’ we know C.S. Lewis is no longer living, the mere prospect of meeting him, befriending him, and his brother is fantasizing at its’ finest.
We first get to meet Megs—a brilliant math student at Oxford. Then we meet her younger brother, George, only eight years old, quickly learning he has a heart that won’t last much longer.
He and Megs’ family live in a little town outside of Oxford. Megs takes the train home on weekends to be with her brother and parents.
The year is 1950 and not coincidentally, The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe has just released. Young George devours it, declares it his favorite book, and upon learning C.S. Lewis is also at Oxford, he begs Megs to ask the author a one and only question: “Where did Narnia come from?”
A comical side-bar is Megs is extremely mathematically minded while George is hugely captured by fantasy from the book. Megs doesn’t really get this, nor care about it, at first... (Being math phobic, more than one dig at mathematics is present in the book and is quite comical.)
What becomes so fun to watch and read, is how Megs meets C.S. Lewis, and his brother, Warnie, learning about the numerous stories “Jack” (C.S. Lewis’ nickname) tells her. She reports these in great in detail to George. She does in fact read The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, and best of all, we readers get to watch transformation in all of the characters as the story evolves.
Patti reminds us C.S. Lewis was an atheist. How he comes to faith plays a large role in other’s faith journeys: Oh yes, God is in the details! Plus, I’m not about to spoil the surprises (yes, plural!), as we’ll even get to witness a wee love story near the end.
As an added bonus, Patti allows us readers to be privy to some of the Inkling’s gatherings. The Inklings had several literary geniuses who met at Oxford for nearly two decades, including C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien (remember, one of his many works is The Hobbit), Hugo Dyson, Charles Williams, and many others. Can you fathom?
One of many jewels throughout Once Upon a Wardrobe is,
And another, a challenge among the Inklings (which makes this grandmother/mother/bibliophile smile from ear to ear), comes from “Tollers,” Tolkien’s nickname, who says,
“‘I despair for the state of children’s literature these days. They are reading pure rubbish.’
‘Yes,’ Jack said, Tollers adding, ‘If we are to read something like that then…’
‘We must write it,’ Jack declared…and all the Inklings agreed.”
Dear readers, the rest, as they say, is history—as in some of the best children’s literature ever came from these men….
Read on, my friend, as you’ll not be able to put the book down until you’re finished. I dare not reveal any more details, but I know you’ll want all your friends to read this, another perfect Christmas gift idea! And, my guess is you’ll then want to read or re-read The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. (I’m currently on p. 135!)
Now you know how we like to close: Run, don’t walk, to your nearest bookstore and grab BOTH of these books for your friends! Don’t Miss Out and Once Upon a Wardrobe.
Loads of gratitude and every blessing to these sweet sisters, Jeannie and Patti! They are indeed Modern Day Family Inklings!
‘Til next time!
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the page above are “affiliate links.”