Becoming Mrs. Lewis(125)
Lyle Dorsett (author of Joy’s first biography, And God Came In, an Anglican priest and professor at Samford University Divinity School) is a prince among men. He spent hours with me talking about Joy and her life, her possible motivations and her triumphs and despairs. His prayers and his prodding to “write a story about her life” meant more to me than he will ever know. Also professor at Montreat College and author of numerous works about Joy Davidman, Don King’s work was invaluable as I sent him emails and questions and read everything he wrote about Joy and her writing and poetry.
I would not have finished this novel, at least not in the form it is in, without my sacred time at Rivendell Writer’s Colony under the ministrations of Carmen Touissant. It was there that I often found the heart of the story when I felt it was missing. My love and gratitude are in equal measure.
To the authors who have written about both Joy and Jack before me, whose work introduced me to several facets of them both, I am indebted and grateful (listed in the Author’s Note for suggested further reading).
The Wade Center at Wheaton College and most notably Elaine Hooker were invaluable. As I sat in the reading room with Joy’s papers, passport, divorce decree, poetry, and letters, she came alive for me in a way I hadn’t expected. The Wade Center’s support and careful curating of her papers (and C. S. Lewis’s) allowed me to discover Joy in a deeper way. Elaine answered unending questions and guided me to the papers I needed the most. All authors should have someone like her in a place like this.
To my agent, Marly Rusoff, who believed in this story from the very beginning and championed it to its very end. My gratitude is as endless as my emails.
To the extraordinary team at HarperCollins/Thomas Nelson—you are a gift and a pleasure and I am grateful for every single one of you. To Amanda Bostic who understood not only the story but also why I wanted to tell it from the get-go. Working with you has been one of the greatest pleasures of my publishing history.
To Paul Fisher, Allison Carter, Kristen Golden, Jodi Hughes, Kayleigh Hinds, Becky Monds, and Laura Wheeler—you are the dream team. To TJ Rathbun and Ben Greenhoe, who filmed and produced our videos—you somehow saw the same vision as I did when it came to telling Joy’s story. I am immeasurably grateful, and working with you was one of the best days of this publishing journey. And to L. B. Norton, the copy editor extraordinaire—your eye, your spirit, your generosity and humor made this editing experience more than I could have ever hoped for.
To my team who loves Joy with the same passion—I am grateful to each and every one of you. To Jim Chaffee of Chaffee Managament, who appeared in the most synchronistic and powerful way at just the right time. How happy I am to have you on our team: your insight and energy are boundless. To Meg Walker at Tandem Literary—your calm spirit and innovative creativity are stunning. To Meg Reggie, as always, from my very first novel, you are a gem and a creative genius. To Carol Fitzgerald and her team at Bookreporter, who helped me build a website I adore (and I am sure Joy would love also).
To my friends, who allowed me to talk about this subject endlessly and still hang out with me. I love you—Tara Mahoney for her humor and belief, Kate Phillips for her unwavering confidence, Barbara Cooney for sitting with me through the tough parts, Sandee O for bringing me back to center always when I need it most, and Cleo O’Neal for walking and talking when I needed to ground myself again.
To Douglas Gresham (Joy’s son)—I am profoundly indebted to you and grateful. Your insight and kindness to a complete stranger who wrote about your brilliant mother was stunning. I am honored to now call you friend. Thank you, Douglas. Thank you. Your legacy holds true to the integrity and kindness of both Jack and your mother.
And my family. When I first told my parents of this idea, they were as supportive of me as always, and yet a sparkle came to their eyes. They knew what Lewis had meant to all of us. I found my first C. S. Lewis book—The Screwtape Letters—in my dad’s office at home. I hope I’ve done them proud here. To my sisters, Jeannie Cunnion and Barbi Burris, and their extraordinary families who support me no matter my eccentricities. To my sisters-in-law, Serena Henry and Anna Henry, who heard so much about Joy and still listened and still asked and anchored me to family when I needed it. To Pat Henry, for tolerating my distant stares and forgotten dinners and early-morning huddles in my office—thank you and I love you. To my children, my love for you is beyond measure and as I wrote every word of this novel I thought of you and your wild and beautiful lives unfolding in their new ways, as always, Meagan and Evan Rock, Thomas and Rusk.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Did you know much about Joy Davidman before you read this novel? Did you come with preconceived notions of who she was? How did those change during the novel? What was the most surprising part of this story for you?
2. Joy wrote to Jack in search of answers on her spiritual journey. Was she looking for a friend? Advice? Both? What kept them writing to each other for so many years without meeting face-to-face?
3. Not many people supported Joy’s choices to first travel to England and then move there. There also didn’t seem to be much support from Jack’s friends as their friendship and then love story bloomed. How did Joy find the strength to overcome the resistance? How did they survive this disapproval to come together? What were the strengths that allowed them to resist the naysayers?
4. How did the time and place—1950s England when women weren’t even admitted to Magdalen College where Jack taught—affect their love story? Would it be different today? How would this story be different today?