Meet Harold Fry, recently retired. He lives in a small English village with his wife, Maureen, who seems irritated by almost everything he does, even down to how he butters his toast. Little differentiates one day from the next. Then one morning the mail arrives, and within the stack of quotidian minutiae is a letter addressed to Harold in a shaky scrawl from a woman he hasn’t seen or heard from … from in twenty years. Queenie Hennessy is in hospice and is writing to say goodbye.
Harold pens a quick reply and, leaving Maureen to her chores, heads to the corner mailbox. But then, as happens in the very best works of fiction, Harold has a chance encounter, one that convinces him that he absolutely must deliver his message to Queenie in person. And thus begins the unlikely pilgrimage at the heart of Rachel Joyce’s remarkable debut. Harold Fry is determined to walk six hundred miles from Kingsbridge to the hospice in Berwick-upon-Tweed because, he believes, as long as he walks, Queenie Hennessey will live.
Still in his yachting shoes and light coat, Harold embarks on his urgent quest across the countryside. Along the way he meets one fascinating character after another, each of whom unlocks his long-dormant spirit and sense of promise. Memories of his first dance with Maureen, his wedding day, his joy in fatherhood, come rushing back to him—allowing him to also reconcile the losses and the regrets. As for Maureen, she finds herself missing Harold for the first time in years.
And then there is the unfinished business with Queenie Hennessy.
A novel of unsentimental charm, humor, and profound insight into the thoughts and feelings we all bury deep within our hearts, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry introduces Rachel Joyce as a wise—and utterly irresistible—storyteller.
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If you love stories about ordinary people who do extraordinary things, you’ll love this book. Quiet and unassuming, the characters take hold of your heart and tug at your own memories.
This book broke my heart (in a good way) It’s one of those books that I will remember for the rest of my life.
Great creative novel
This book deals with very dark issues…the unbearable pain of parents watching their children self-destruct, the reality of a painful and lingering death, the effects of a childhood devoid of love, and the loneliness of a loveless marriage. Despite these themes, the book is full of love, forgiveness and atonement.
I loved everything about this book but particularly how the story moves from quirky to heroic to heart-breaking, to joyous. After reading Miss Benson’s Beetle and then this, Rachel Joyce is now definitely one of my favorite modern authors.
I loved this book. I loved the whimsy, but it packs a punch too.
A friend gave me this book, and since I love a pilgrimage story of any sort, this one was stellar. It’s a tale of loss and regret, grief and marriage, and ultimately, finding our way home again. Beautiful, poignant, and captivating.
Harold and Maureen Fry, a couple in their sixties, are not really living. Maureen never leaves the house and has an obsession with cleaning;Harold doesn’t do much of anything since he’s retired. And then one day, Harold gets a letter from Queenie, a woman he’d worked with and whom he hadn’t heard from in twenty years, telling Harold goodbye, as …
It is not hard to imagine joining Harold Fry as he journeys to see an old friend he thought deserved more than a letter. I really appreciated the pace of the story and the perspective shared in the narrative. Wasn’t long before I picked up the second story to see Queenie’s story.
I’ve seen many readers in several book groups asking for a “feel good” book to read during these stressful times. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry is one I’ll be recommending. The story comes out in bits and pieces, stretched between the miles of Harold’s pilgrimage like stepping stones into his life. Lovely prose.
I really enjoyed “The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry” (although there was some language that I tried to overlook). It is about an older man who starts out on a (walking) journey to visit an old friend in hospice. It turns into a pilgrimage because of the things he learns about himself and others during this time. I really enjoyed the writing …
This was a bit of an odd book that I wasn’t sure I liked, but it really wrapped up quite well. I’m glad I stuck it out. There is so much going on behind the scenes that Harold doesn’t reveal or even understand. It was definitely an unlikely pilgrimage, but a necessary one. I would recommend this book, but come at it with an open mind.
The older we get, the more likely we are to face a moment in our lives where we wonder just what the heck we’re doing and why. This story begins with hen-pecked Harold leaving home to mail a postcard in response to a letter he received from someone he hadn’t spoken to in years, but someone who’d had a profound effect on him when he did know her. …
Lovely book.
unusual
This is a very odd book. A man walks across England to see a dying woman. He and his wife live together but have little to do with each other. The story is his journey meeting people along the way and her quiet angst. Sadness is pervasive and you finally understand why.
This was an audio read.
I enjoyed the slowness and meeting characters along the way. I felt as if I was taking the journey with him too!
I like the fact that I could not anticipate which way the story was going to end. The author kept me engaged till the end.
The characters
Just loved it. Managed to make me laugh and cry.