Patience Well Rewarded
The narrative of this story, like Harold Fry’s journey, starts out ploddingly slow and I was tempted to push it aside. Gradually, however, I was drawn in, knowing Harold’s quest to be impossible yet wanting to believe otherwise. For me, the richness in this tale was in the journey itself, not the destination although once reached, I found the conclusion sweetly satisfying and my patience well rewarded. In an interview the author was quoted as saying her book was about ordinary people dealing with extraordinary things in ordinary ways. This is no ordinary book. I shall be recommending it to my friends. Great book for reading clubs.
Rated of 5
by Joan N. (Evanston, IL)
A Walk into One's Depth
As I read along, I was captivated by the prose and the premise: a retired man walking great distances to be at the bedside of a woman he worked with who was in hospice. I wondered how the author would be able to sustain the story - step after step, what could be of interest? I found myself drawn into the depths of this ordinary man who decides one day to do an extraordinary thing. And in doing so he finds himself and he reclaims his life.
Rated of 5
by Rosemary S. (Somers, NY)
Put This on Your Reading LIst!
I never would have guessed that a book about an elderly man, Harold, who walks over six hundred miles, would be so intriguing and enlightening. What could have been a slow moving story, about ordinary people, and ordinary lives, became a fascinating tale of hope, discovery, and love. I will be using this book as my pick for our monthly book club, and I believe it will lead to a fascinating discussion. This book led me to think about life, death, marriage, friendship, religion, guilt, blame, obligation, fame, and so much more.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I look forward to reading more books by this new author.
Rated of 5
by Zonetta G. (Winter Springs, FL)
Beautiful
This is a beautifully written book. Rachel Joyce expresses eloquently the hope and faith in life we all hold close inside. Harold and Maureen show us that who we are today is a result of the suppressed memories and grief and sorrow of our past as well as the small memories we've forgotten. This is a sweet, sweet story and I would highly recommend it to book clubs. I loved it.
Rated of 5
by Pam L. (Indialantic, FL)
Map to Come
What a concept. I love Harold Fry, the unlikely hero of the debut novel by Rachel Joyce. This novel is the epitome of the expression "stop and smell the roses." Harold's journey is about regret, forgiveness and most absolutely, love. Harold's pilgrimage is reflective, heart -breaking, and most of all about hope and faith. The ending is almost pitch perfect. Harold Fry has something to teach everyone. Brew a pot of tea, sit down and savor "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry" by Rachel Joyce.
Rated of 5
by Jean N. (New Richmond, OH)
Off to post a letter......
This book really touched me. I know that I will never forget it. Although Harold didn't start out with a plan, his determination to reach his destination despite all the odds against him, the heart wrenching memories that he recalled as he walked, day after day, and the challenges that plagued him caused me to really care. I felt like I was walking with him. I couldn't stop turning the pages. I had to know what was going to become of Harold. It was also a story of Harold's wife, Maureen, who was waiting at home- not knowing if Harold was ever going to return. I didn't like Maureen at first, but as she recalled her past, I ended up caring about her too. I felt these were real people who were reaching a turning point in their lives- and I had to know how it was going to turn out.
Harold was a man who was totally unlikely to make such a bold journey- his courage both in walking and in remembering was awesome.
There were amusing parts in the book as well. Some of the characters Harold met, and the situations they got into were comical. Of course, when the media found it's way into the pilgrimage, it was bedlam.
I'm glad I read this book. I am anxious for my friends to discover Harold Fry.
Rated of 5
by Linda M. (Three Oaks, MI)
Harold and Maureen
I really loved this book. It was beautiful and funny, an introspective story that says it’s never too late to discover life and love again. A letter from an old colleague set Harold Fry on an improbable quest to walk across England and save an old friend from death’s door. Every step forward was a journey into the past showing us how life had molded Harold and his long suffering wife, Maureen, into the two individuals living together but insulated from each other and the world around them. It’s an inspiring story and one that will not be forgotten for a long time.
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Although heavy on the scientific details, which slowed down the story for me (OK, I admit, I was one of those liberal arts majors who skipped out on...
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Loved this book. Magical, quirky, enchanting I could go on. All books do not have to be literary fiction, sometimes it is just so comforting to read...
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British Parliament asks Amazon to clarify why it pays $9 million in income tax on $23 billion of UK sales.(May 20 2013) Amazon will be called back to give further evidence to members of the British Parliament "to clarify how its activities in the U.K. justify its low corporate...
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of 5
by Karen J. (Bremerton, WA)
