Author Rachel Joyce
Publisher: Random House UK
Genre: Modern &Contemporary Fiction, General Fiction
Year of Release: 2013
Release Date: January 2013
Rating🌟🌟🌟🌟
Trigger Warning Suicide, Terminal illness, Grief
Synopsis
“When Harold Fry nips out one morning to post a letter, leaving his wife hoovering upstairs, he has no idea that he is about to walk from one end of the country to the other. He has no hiking boots or map, let alone a compass, waterproof or mobile phone. All he knows is that he must keep walking. To save someone else’s life.
Review
Harold Fry Receives a letter from a former work college turned friend Miss Queenie Hennessy who he has not heard nor seen of for 20 years, upon completing the letter Harold discovers it’s not the sort of letter you wish to receive from a friend. Unfortunately, Queenie Hennessey is now a resident of a Hospice.
Harold has so much he needs to say to Queenie, after thinking it over for a short while he believes he can save Queenie she just has to wait, he puts his plan in a letter and sets off to the mailbox; all will be well once the letter reaches Queenie. On his short walk to mail his letter Harold’s plan takes on legs of their own that even Harold Fry Himself didn’t see coming. Harold decides to walk the 627 Miles or 1009.06 KM to Berwick Upon Tweed from Kingsbridge. Harold sets off before he changes his mind, or his wife Maureen talks him out of it! Will he make it before it’s to late?
“The world was made up of people putting one foot in front of the other; and a life might appear ordinary simply because the person living it had been doing so for a long time.”
― Rachel Joyce, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
I had no idea Harold fry even existed! I read Miss Benson’s Beetle and I absolutely had to discover more from Rachel Joyce.
I was sold instantly on the premise of this story and was moved to think there are people who would travel to save a friend; no matter the obstacles faced or the possible personal cost to their own health or situation. I think Harold made for a wonderful character which was a good thing as we spend a lot of time alone with him on his journey.
As I headed towards to ST Bernadine Hospice I did wonder if we would make it? For some reason I felt as if the book slowed quite considerably, having now reached the end I realised it really is about living in every moment rather then speeding past the little, uncomfortable moments, just to say we made it; sometimes you have to experience the uncomfortable and that isn’t always easy.
The writing not only suited the characters I was able to picture the towns, the people, the flora and fauna, this was a lovely detail to the story I believe as it added lighter moments in between some darker periods.
“Harold could no longer pass a stranger without acknowledging the truth that everyone was the same, and also unique; and that this was the dilemma of being human.”
― Rachel Joyce, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
I believe The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry could have gone very differently if author Rachel Joyce hadn’t spent time making Harold three dimensional. I felt as if I really, really knew him even the darker sides made me appreciate Harold even more. At the end I deeply cared for all the shades this book has to offer, the character of Maureen Fry comes across as quite the cold fish in the early chapters I felt but as soon as it becomes clear for Maureen’s behaviours and distant relationship with her husband Harold, I found I began to appreciate her and understand her struggles somewhat.
I recommend this book to mature readers who enjoy a slower paced descriptive read, on a personal note this book does touch on some difficult topics such as grief, suicide, terminal illness so take that into consideration before reading.