Rachel Joyce is a British author known for writing books with emotional depth, engaging storytelling, and vivid characters. I’ve compiled this comprehensive list of Rachel Joyce books in order to offer readers a full exploration of her stories.
It isn’t necessary to read Rachel Joyce books in order as the majority are standalone novels. However I would recommend reading the Harold Fry books in order to fully understand the backstory.
Complete List of Rachel Joyce Books in Order
Harold Fry Books
- The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry (2012)
- The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy (2014)
- Maureen Fry and the Angel of the North / Maureen (2023)
Standalone Novels
Novellas
Short Story Collections
Who is Rachel Joyce?
Rachel Joyce is a British author best known for writing novels, many of which have become international bestsellers. She has also written over twenty original afternoon plays and adaptations of the classics for BBC Radio 4, including all the Bronte novels.
Rachel Joyce books always seem to be received well by both readers and critics. Her debut novel, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, won several literary awards including:
- The Specsavers National Book Awards New Writer of the Year (2012)
- The Goodreads Choice Awards for Fiction (2012)
- The Desmond Elliott Prize for Debut Fiction (2012)
- The Commonwealth Book Prize for Best First Book (2013)
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry was also shortlisted for the Commonwealth Book prize and longlisted for the Man Booker Prize. Rachel Joyce also won The Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award (2017) for The Music Shop.
Rachel Joyce books often explore themes of human connection, love, loss, and the power of ordinary people to make extraordinary changes in their lives.
How Many Rachel Joyce Books Are There?
At the time of writing there are seven Rachel Joyce books, one novella and one short story collection.
How many books are in the Harold Fry series?
There are three books in the series and I would recommend reading them in order:
- The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
- The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy
- Maureen Fry and the Angel of the North
What is the best Rachel Joyce novel?
This is such a subjective question. So many people would say The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry is the best Rachel Joyce. However, I’m in the minority on this one when I say I didn’t really enjoy it. I didn’t dislike it, I just felt a bit underwhelmed. However, I absolutely LOVED Miss Benson’s Beetle, so its definitely just a case of personal preference.
Summary
This is the complete list of Rachel Joyce books in order. I’ll keep this list updated if any new books are released.
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