"Often, the storybooks and newspapers tell us of the C.S. Lewis/Tolkien era, but little attention is given to his earlier life and friendships, but I think those years were so instrumental to his writing. The poverty aspect, in particular, I think will surprise some. I always thought of him as a privileged white man but really, he had to fight his way to the light. That’s one of the main reasons we narrowed his timeline."