The novel contains several references to C. S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia series, in which the Pevensie siblings and other children enter a portal to the magical kingdom of Narnia. Like Narnia, Shanandoah is an alternate universe that is accessed through hidden doorways in the real world, such as a hollow in a tree or the inside of a grandfather clock. Just like the Pevensie siblings are two brothers and two sisters, the found family at the heart of Shanandoah consists of two women and two men. Early in the novel, Emilie notes that Skya owned the entire Narnia series, except for The Silver Chair (1953). When Emilie and Skya reunite, Skya promises to read her the story of The Silver Chair. 

Significantly, the plot of Lewis’s novel involves two school friends who enter Narnia and are assigned the task of finding a lost prince. The Lost Story contains similarities to this plot, as Jeremy and Emilie help lost prince Rafe find himself. Other references to Narnia include the Painted Sea, where Skya wants to hide Emilie. The Painted Sea is inspired by the Silver Sea at the end of the world in

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