The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
By Rachel Joyce
(Random House, Hardcover, 9780812993295, July 24, 2012, 336pp.)
The Short of It:
Beauty is sometimes obvious and at other times, more difficult to come by but as this novel unfolds… so does its beauty. What a gem!
The Rest of It:
Harold Fry and his wife Maureen live in a small English village. Retired and in their sixties, their lives are filled with the routines of the day, but deep inside they are both agonizing over what was…and can’t seem to figure out what to do next. Things have gotten so bad between them, that Maureen sleeps in the guest room and cannot stand the sight of him. Harold, although agreeable and always the gentleman, is okay with the situation which angers Maureen even more.
One day, Harold receives a letter from an old colleague by the name of Queenie Hennessey. The letter is brief, but devastating. Queenie is terminally ill and writing from a hospice. With only so many days to live, the letter serves as her goodbye to him. At first his plan is to send her a quick reply, but on his way to the post office he decides to just keep walking.
This book was spectacularly good but in the most quiet way possible. When Harold sets off in nothing but yachting shoes and the clothes on his back, you can’t help but feel his desperation. How bad can it be for a person to just walk away from life? But Harold doesn’t leave Maureen. Instead, he sees it as a remedy for everything that’s gone wrong. It’s a way to keep Queenie alive and it’s a way for him to remember how it used to be. Throughout the trip, Harold is plagued by memories both good and bad and in between them, are his moments with Maureen by phone.
As Harold makes his way to Queenie, he encounters many characters along the way. Most of them kind, all of them supportive. He is touched by the kindness of strangers and even though his body seems to be on the brink of falling apart, he continues to push himself on not really knowing what he’ll encounter once he gets there, but knowing that this journey is one of the most important ones he’ll ever make.
At the same time, Maureen is left to wonder about her own life and where she stands in all of this. Not really given a choice in the matter, she decides to sit tight and wait for a sign. The sign comes in the form of a well-meaning neighbor. A neighbor who has a knack for providing the right advice at exactly the right time. With his help, she works to see the journey through Harold’s eyes.
I adored this book. It was lovely and charming and one of those “complete package” reads that you just want to kiss and tuck under your pillow. I felt good and sad and happy and mad. It took me up and down and I loved every minute of it. It will absolutely be on my list of favorites for 2012.
If you’ d like a chance to kiss it and tuck it under your pillow, enter the giveaway for a chance to win your own copy! Details below.
To view Rachel’s other TLC tour stops, click here.
GIVEAWAY INFORMATION
This giveaway is for one copy of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and is open to the US only (no PO boxes). A winner will be chosen randomly by me. The book will come directly from the publisher. Only one entry per person. Giveaway closes on July 29, 2012 (pacific). I will contact the winner.
To enter the giveaway, please click here. (This giveaway has closed!)
Source: Review and giveaway copy provided by the publisher via TLC Book Tours.
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.
Book Chatter 
I’m really glad you enjoyed it.
Wow, how cool is this little book…this is the second positive review I’ve seen.
I think it will be one of the sleeper hits of the summer. I just wish they had gone with a more serious cover. It’s a bit cartoony.
This sounds like a must read!
You will really enjoy it!
I feel so bad!!! I have had this for forever… I love the sweet books that you love!
If you have it, you need to open it up. Today.
This book sounds just lovely! I must read it!!
I will be reading this one soon, and I am rather excited about it, especially because it’s gotten such great buzz around the net. I think that quiet stories are just the sort I need right now, and so I am going to love this one. I really liked your review because you not only covered what it was like for Harold, but for his wife as well. Fantastic review today!
I’ve been feeling a little blah about my reading. I’ve been more critical this year and there have been more negative reviews because of it, so when I opened this book and realized how good it was, I seriously did not want it to end. Ever.
Sounds like such a captivating story. Thank you for the lovely review that hooked me.
Sound like this is a must read! Thanks for the opportunity to win a copy!!
I heard about this somewhere, but now I’ll have to seek it out and add to the towering TBR. It’s been a good summer!
I was mildly curious about The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, but your review has me wanting more. Thank you for your review and recommendation. I will add it to my TBR.
This is one I wouldn’t have been drawn to from the cover, but I’m definitely interested in it after reading your review.
The more I hear about this book, the more I want to try it. WHo wouldn’t benefit from taking a trip like this every so often … or at least once in life?
It did make me want to hit the road and go somewhere. Usually I hang at home because people annoy me but it’s a good reminder that there are good people out there too.Â
Holy cow! You’ve made this sound marvelous! No need to enter me.
You know I struggle with quiet, but I want a book to kiss and put under my pillow too, and I always have hope that one day quiet will charm me! Please enter me!
Sandy, fill out the form to enter. At the bottom of the post. Good luck!
I have been hearing really good things about this book. I am glad to see another positive review.
Loved your review because you captured exactly how I felt while reading this one too!!!
Now I want to drop everything and read my copy….sighhhhh
This does sound like a delightful sleeper hit of the summer. It’s a debut novel eh? Good for her. I will be add it to my TBR, enjoyed your review.
I saw an interview on Amazon for the book and she said it was a play first. I even went back and listened to it again. I don’t see it as a play but I could see it being a movie. It was a great book. Inspired by her father.
“This book was spectacularly good but in the most quiet way possible.” Now that’s a sentence to sell a book by!
Sweet Nancy is sharing her copy with me, so I’m hoping to read this one next week on vacation. Can’t wait!!
I cannot wait to read this one too – it sounds like a title that would be great in audio.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this Ti! I can’t wait to read it myself.
Thanks for being on the tour.
Everytime I read about this book, I become desperate to read it! I have to get my hands on a copy soon.