The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry is a novel by Rachel Joyce that follows the journey of a retired man who sets out on an impromptu walk across England to visit a dying friend, discovering along the way the power of hope, redemption, and self-discovery.
Meet Harold Fry, recently retired. He lives in a small English village with his wife, Maureen, who seems irritated by almost everything he does. Little differentiates one day from the next.
Then one morning a letter arrives, addressed to Harold in a shaky scrawl, from a woman he hasn’t heard from in twenty years. Queenie Hennessy is in hospice and is writing to say goodbye. But before Harold mails off a quick reply, a chance encounter convinces him that he absolutely must deliver his message to Queenie in person.
In his yachting shoes and light coat, Harold Fry embarks on an urgent quest. Determined to walk six hundred miles to the hospice, Harold believes that as long as he walks, Queenie will live.
About the Author
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.
What to read next
There are two more books in the Harold Fry series. The next book is titled The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy and I’d suggest reading that next if you haven’t already.
If you’re looking for a standalone novel, I’d definitely recommend Miss Benson’s Beetle, also by Rachel Joyce.
