The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

Harold Fry is a humble man who has made mistakes in life that he does not fully understand. One day a letter arrives from an old friend, Queenie Hennessey, whom he has not seen for twenty years.Queenie is dying from inoperable cancer and his written to Harold to thank him for his friendship and to say goodbye.Unsure how to respond, Harold writes an ineffectual reply that he takes to the post box but does not post. Instead, he finds himself compelled to to walk to the next post box and then the next, until he finds himself at a garage and an encounter with the checkout girl sets him off on his ‘pilgrimage’. His spontaneous decision is the start of a 600 mile walk to Berwick-on-Tweed to say goodbye to Queenie in person.The journey that follows is expertly written in simple, light prose and its simplicity can take your breath away. Yet it’s that very simplicity that also slightly undermines the weight of some of the issues dealt with in the book. Swinging from light humour to dark despair, Harold’s journey and the people he meets are all crafted with such clarity that it appears at times more than fiction. While walking, Harold reflects on his life and his broken marriage with his wife Maureen, who has been left behind wondering if he will ever return.Harold questions the mistakes he’s made, in particular his inability to be a father to their apparently estranged son David. His memories of failing to engage with David as a child are heartbreaking.Despite it being a light read, I was very moved by this novel. Harold may be an ordinary every-man, but his pain is clearly drawn and I related to his regrets. He is all of us and anyone can find some aspect of their own life in him.I really enjoyed this book: it made me laugh and cry in equal measure and despite some of its dark admissions, it is ultimately hopeful. Rachel Joyce has great faith in the human spirit and great faith in Harold. Perhaps if all us took a similar pilgrimage, we might become more aware of what it really means to be human.

I have just finished this and would recommend not only to those of you who think about the realities of life and ask yourself what is it about but to those of you who have from time to time wanted to take a moment to consider what really matters in life are the simple things, like kindness, love but also guilt.It is a fiction but so real. It resonates with questions we have, what matters? Why do people stay together? how does trauma impact on relationships?That being said it is really easy to read and could be about our neighbour, our friend it feels so real.I particularly respect the ending- no Hollywood love thing going on just life and death an man trying to work some things through. A really good read and a very plausible character.

What an absolutely gloriously brilliant, fascinating, comedic and yet deeply moving book, all at the same time!It touches all of your senses and more, without being all mushy - trust me, I don't 'do' sentimental stories.I admit I had my reservations because of the general hype and the genre itself. But mainly due to the nagging doubt of how someone could write a story about a retired gent walking from South Devon to Berwick-Upon-Tweed and make that even remotely interesting? Well, they did, and they did it REALLY well.If you like A Man Called Ove, you'll love this and vice-versa. Highly recommended.PS. To expand this story further I read the follow up book The Love Song of Queenie Hennessey - although this has similar elements and it's pretty good, I found it a little depressing and it didn't hold my attention as much as 'Harold Fry'.

Just brillaint. Beautifully written, poignant, moving, gripping. I treasured every word and didn't want to finish - felt like I had lost an old friend when I did. Have bought this multiple times for gifts and always the feedback is the same - wonderful. An absolutley beautiful tender book that makes you think about your life, the need for us all to slow down and breathe it all in, connect with people on a deeper level, connect with ourselves, appreciate what we have, allow ourslves at least one big adventure in life. Life affirming and life changing. Everyone should read.

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry was brilliant, a lovely book. Joyce offers one of those rare gems that make you feel happy and sad and laugh and cry at the same time. I thought Harold was a lovely character. His determination to walk more than 600 miles believing it will stop an old friend from dying of cancer would be laughable if he didn’t seem so determined to go through with it and if he wasn’t such a sweet old man. I was rooting for Harold as he plodded mile after mile after mile. As The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry progresses Harold starts to think about the things he regrets from the past and it becomes clear he’s not walking just to save Queenie’s life but to make up for twenty years’ worth of failings. I liked the flashbacks to Harold and Maureen’s life; their intense love for each other in the early days and the fragmenting of their love and marriage once their son David is born because he’s afraid to be a father. There’s something wonderfully human about Harold’s pilgrimage. There are revelations about David towards the end of the novel that are heart-breaking. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry is so moving it’s almost painful and leaves a big lump in your throat. Unmissable.