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Published Mar 2016
400 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
From the bestselling author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry comes an exquisite love story about Queenie Hennessy, the remarkable friend who inspired Harold's cross-country journey.
A runaway international bestseller, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry followed its unassuming hero on an incredible journey as he traveled the length of England on foot—a journey spurred by a simple letter from his old friend Queenie Hennessy, writing from a hospice to say goodbye. Harold believed that as long as he kept walking, Queenie would live. What he didn't know was that his decision to walk had caused her both alarm and fear. How could she wait? What would she say? Forced to confront the past, Queenie realizes she must write again.
In this poignant parallel story to Harold's saga, acclaimed author Rachel Joyce brings Queenie Hennessy's voice into sharp focus. Setting pen to paper, Queenie makes a journey of her own, a journey that is even bigger than Harold's; one word after another, she promises to confess long-buried truths—about her modest childhood, her studies at Oxford, the heartbreak that brought her to Kingsbridge and to loving Harold, her friendship with his son, the solace she has found in a garden by the sea. And, finally, the devastating secret she has kept from Harold for all these years.
A wise, tender, layered novel that gathers tremendous emotional force, The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy underscores the resilience of the human spirit, beautifully illuminating the small yet pivotal moments that can change a person's life.
First published in hardcover, 2015
"In the end, this lovely book is full of joy. Much more than the story of a woman's enduring love for an ordinary, flawed man, it's an ode to messy, imperfect, glorious, unsung humanity... . [Queenie's] love song is for us. Thank you, Rachel Joyce." - The Washington Post
"Destined to change your world. One can't help but see life, and the end of it, differently after experiencing this novel. Full of wisdom and heart, it will overwhelm its readers with a deep sensitivity." - Bookreporter
"Starred Review. [A] beguiling follow-up ... In telling Queenie's side of the story, Joyce accomplishes the rare feat of endowing her continuing narrative with as much pathos and warmth, wisdom and poignancy as her debut. Harold was beloved by millions; Queenie will be, too." - Booklist
"Delightful and dark ... But Joyce is so deft that when the book is over and you close the cover, the darkness fades. What sticks with you is the light of Queenie's unwavering love." - Minneapolis Star Tribune
"[A] deeply affecting novel ... Culminating in a shattering revelation, [Queenie's] tale is funny, sad, hopeful: She's bound for death, but full of life." - People
"Joyce's writing at moments has a simplicity that sings. She captures hope best of all." - The Guardian
"Joyce has a wonderfully evocative turn of phrase and like her other books this is a delightful read... . Queenie is an uplifting and moving companion to Harold." - Daily Express
"Joyce nicely calls the book a companion rather than a sequel. But The Love Song is bolder than a retread of the same material from another angle... . After two such involving novels, readers are bound to wish for a third." - The Telegraph
"[Joyce] manages to both add depth to an already strong work and build something new and beautiful upon it." - The A.V. Club
"A wonderful read ... It is not necessary to read Harold's story before reading Queenie's to enjoy this bittersweet novel, which is a pleasure in its own right. However, reading both will only serve to double that pleasure." - The Independent
This information about The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Rachel Joyce is the author of the Sunday Times and international bestsellers The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy, and Perfect. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry was short-listed for the Commonwealth Book Prize and long-listed for the Man Booker Prize and has been translated into thirty-six languages. Joyce was awarded the Specsavers National Book Awards New Writer of the Year in 2012. She is also the author of the digital short story A Faraway Smell of Lemon and is the award-winning writer of more than thirty original afternoon plays and classic adaptations for BBC Radio 4. Rachel Joyce lives with her family in Gloucestershire.
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