Review first published on my blog: http://memoriesfrombooks.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-unlikely-pilgrimage-of-harold-fry.html
Harold Fry is old retired English gentlemen. He and his wife Maureen have spent most of their lives in the same house in a small village. Harold worked in one place until he retired. Now, he seems to do nothing much. Maureen keeps house. Their routine continues as it has for many years.
One day, Harold receives a letter from Queenie Hennessy, an old friend. The letter informs that Queenie is dying and wishes Harold to know what his friendship meant. This seems to spur Harold out of himself. He starts off writing Queenie a letter and sets off to post it. Yet, somehow, that turns into his belief that if he walks to Queenie, he will somehow save her.
So, he sets off to walk over 500 miles. The book tells the story of this walk - the people he meets along the way, the people he leaves behind, and layer by layer, the story of Harold's own life. We see moments of joy and moments of such great sorrow.
Harold and Maureen are an "ordinary" couple leading an "ordinary" life in an "ordinary" small English village. Yet, as we learn in this book, no life is ordinary as it might appear from the surface. In every life comes joys and sorrows and love and moments that make it extraordinary.
This story of ordinary people turns out surprisingly be an extraordinary tale that made me laugh and cry and care about the characters. This is Rachel Joyce's debut novel. I can't wait to see what she writes next.
Harold Fry is old retired English gentlemen. He and his wife Maureen have spent most of their lives in the same house in a small village. Harold worked in one place until he retired. Now, he seems to do nothing much. Maureen keeps house. Their routine continues as it has for many years.
One day, Harold receives a letter from Queenie Hennessy, an old friend. The letter informs that Queenie is dying and wishes Harold to know what his friendship meant. This seems to spur Harold out of himself. He starts off writing Queenie a letter and sets off to post it. Yet, somehow, that turns into his belief that if he walks to Queenie, he will somehow save her.
So, he sets off to walk over 500 miles. The book tells the story of this walk - the people he meets along the way, the people he leaves behind, and layer by layer, the story of Harold's own life. We see moments of joy and moments of such great sorrow.
Harold and Maureen are an "ordinary" couple leading an "ordinary" life in an "ordinary" small English village. Yet, as we learn in this book, no life is ordinary as it might appear from the surface. In every life comes joys and sorrows and love and moments that make it extraordinary.
This story of ordinary people turns out surprisingly be an extraordinary tale that made me laugh and cry and care about the characters. This is Rachel Joyce's debut novel. I can't wait to see what she writes next.
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