Mabel Kirke

Mabel Kirke née Ketterley was the mother of Digory Kirke and sister to and Letitia Ketterley. Little is known about her life. It seems likely that she was the youngest of her siblings.

At some point, she married Mr. Kirke, a wealthy man who worked overseas. After their marriage, they lived in a spacious estate in the country, and had one son, Digory. During the middle of her life, and when Digory was around twelve, Mabel contracted a chronic illness. The two temporarily moved back to London to live with Mabel's sister Letitia. It was expected during this time that Mabel was soon to die.

In summer of 1900, however, Mabel was mysteriously healed. While bedridden, her son Digory gave her an apple which proved to do more for her than all her medicine. Doctors declared her recovery to be a miracle, and she shortly thereafter returned to her home with her son and her recently retired husband. She died many years later.

Trivia

 * Mrs. Kirke's story was based partially on the story of C.S. Lewis' own mother. When he was only a boy, Lewis was griefstricken at the death of his mother. In writing The Magician's Nephew, Lewis was able to retell his own story, giving it a happy ending. Coincidentally, his own stepsons drew comfort from the same story when their mother (Lewis' wife) died of cancer years later.