Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold by C. S. Lewis

Told in the first person by Orual, a sister of Psyche, Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold takes place in the imaginary country of Glome about one hundred years before the birth of Christ. This tale of two princesses, one of great intelligence, the other of great heart and great beauty, sets the stage for the epic struggle between sanctified and blasphemous love. After Psyche’s alleged death, Orual encounters her in a valley. Jealous that her position of caretaker to Psyche has been replaced by Psyche’s husband, Orual prompts Psyche to look at her husband, whose appearance she is unable to describe. Ultimately, the perspective on love and identity evokes some of life’s greatest questions: Why are we here? What exactly is the point of our time on earth? How should we spend it? What are we meant to do? The story addresses the themes of childhood, the search for the truth, responsibility for one’s choices, selfhood, the nature of love, the nature of God and humans, purpose, and hope.

About the Series:

Novel/Drama curriculum units contain complete lesson plans with preliminary and follow-up work, teacher notes with plot summary, background, and rationale, ready-to-use worksheets, and suggested answers for student questions. These study guides encourage the development of thinking, reading, speaking, research, and writing skills as well as critical thinking skills such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.