It's always heartening to come across any modern-day writers or other commentators or public figures who have found joy and inspiration in the Chronicles of Narnia, or perhaps in other writings by C. S. Lewis. I thought it might be nice to have a thread where we can share any examples we find!

This one I just found is from a Christmas feature titled "Gifts that last a lifetime" in the December 23, 2024 edition of The Christian Science Monitor Weekly international news magazine — with various Monitor staff members each sharing the story of a particular Christmas gift they've never forgotten. This piece that stood out to me is by special contributor Samantha Laine Perfas. She describes how at Christmas 2005, she was feeling cynical and too full of "teenage angst" to expect much good out of the celebration, but then one gift from her parents turned out to be a single-volume edition of the complete Chronicles of Narnia. The Walden film of LWW had just been released but she hadn't seen it yet, and she was curious, so she decided it would be nice to read the book first before watching the movie...

The first time I read it, I was immediately swept up into the wonders of Narnia. The whimsical characters made me laugh and cry, sometimes on the same page. Aslan, Narnia's creator and protector, struck me with his fierce devotion, powerful presence, and tender love. His compassion felt so pure it made my heart ache, and I found myself wanting to be completely immersed in his world — a world where other imperfect young people were also trying to discover who they were, and the value they had.

As I reflect on how this gift changed my perspectives of love and life, I think about how excited I am to share it someday with my 3-year-old son and his soon-to-arrive sibling. Even as it becomes more frayed, tattered, and weathered from use, I hope they, too, will delight in this journey through a wardrobe, and to a world of self-discovery.