The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
Books | Fiction / Women
3.8
(327)
Rachel Joyce
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “Joyce’s beguiling debut is [a] modest-seeming story of ‘ordinary’ English lives that enthralls and moves you as it unfolds.”—People (four stars) IN DEVELOPMENT AS A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE • LONGLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE WASHINGTON POST Meet Harold Fry, recently retired. He lives in a small English village with his wife, Maureen, who seems irritated by almost everything he does. Little differentiates one day from the next. Then one morning a letter arrives, addressed to Harold in a shaky scrawl, from a woman he hasn’t heard from in twenty years. Queenie Hennessy is in hospice and is writing to say goodbye. But before Harold mails off a quick reply, a chance encounter convinces him that he absolutely must deliver his message to Queenie in person. In his yachting shoes and light coat, Harold Fry embarks on an urgent quest. Determined to walk six hundred miles to the hospice, Harold believes that as long as he walks, Queenie will live. A novel of 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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More Details:
Author
Rachel Joyce
Pages
368
Publisher
Random House Publishing Group
Published Date
2012-07-24
ISBN
067964511X 9780679645115
Ratings
Google: 3
Community ReviewsSee all
"This book isn't my normal kind of read, but I had heard good things and bought it on sale on a whim. I wasn't expecting it to be so touching and profound, but I really enjoyed it. I have a lot of feelings about the ending, and I do wish we had gotten the chance to see more of Queenie, just because I really wanted the catharsis of a happy reunion.<br/>Of course, a big theme in this book seems to be that life doesn't ever go the way you expect it to, and I do feel satisfied by this bittersweet ending. It feels more real and gives the book a depth it would not have had with a "happily ever after" kind of ending.<br/>I loved going on a journey with these characters. Some of the smallest moments in this book were the most poignant, and some of the briefest connections were the most stirring. In the beginning, I wasn't sure how the author was going to be able to stretch a very lomg walk into a full length novel, but as I read, I really felt like I was taking the long way to the ending with Harrold, and I found myself enjoying the scenic route.<br/>All in all, it was a great read."
"A contemplative story that deals with tragedy, regret and, ultimately, redemption. Very poignant and beautifully written."
M K
Martha Kern
"Really surprised by this book. Interesting characters and easy read."
J S
Jennifer Sananikone
"2021"
J J
Jennifer Johnson
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