Audiobook, Contemporary Fiction

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce #RachelJoyce #JimBroadbent @PRHAudio

Jonetta | Blue Mood Café


the setup…
Harold Fry recently retired and is living with his wife Maureen in Kingsbridge, England. He’s lived an unremarkable life and the distance between him and Maureen continues to broaden now that he’s home full time. Then an indistinctive letter arrives addressed to him from Queenie Hennessy, a former co-worker he hasn’t seen in twenty years. She’s in hospice with a terminal cancer and wrote to say goodbye and thank him for his friendship. Words feel inadequate in his response though Harold finally finds the right expressions but feels the need to post the letter immediately. When he realizes the one closest to him has already closed, he feels an urgency to walk to the next closest to him. But when he reaches that one, a simple remark by the clerk inspires him to keep going, deciding in that moment he’s going to walk to Berwick-upon-Tweed and deliver it in person…600 miles away.

the heart of the story…
It’s obvious from the onset that Harold’s life is fairly dismal. When he gets that letter, you could sense that there was a story there involving Queenie. But at the same time, it didn’t feel like a threat to his marriage. When Harold sets off, ill equipped for the walk (he’s wearing yacht shoes!), nothing seems to matter but to reach Queenie and by doing so, he’ll save her. Think shades of Forest Gump when he embarked on that walk, people around him being inspired and joining that effort, sometimes in support, often with their own agenda. I had to abandon the common sense of it all, or lack thereof, and embrace what was happening to Harold within. This was his reawakening from a lifetime of sleepwalking and it was highly emotional to experience. Despite the hanger-ons, this was all about Harold.

the narration…
The narrator opted to give Harold a somewhat dull voice that is rather perfect as you come to know the man. What initially felt underwhelming later felt dead on to the character. It worked for me as he became Harold.

the bottom line…
This was an arduous journey for me as a listener as I fretted about things that Harold wasn’t paying attention to and his encounters sometimes felt like a rinse and repeat. But after a point, something extraordinary happened as I began to “get it.” We get snippets of his life and backstory throughout his trek, as well as Maureen’s initial reaction and evolving emotions. It’s all very subtle but extremely impactful. The end of the journey brought surprises and a couple of twists but in the end, I loved Harold’s personal transformation and commitment to pay tribute to someone he felt owed.

Book Info

  • Release Date: July 24, 2012
  • Series: Harold Fry #1
  • Narrator: Jim Broadbent
  • Audio Length: 9 hours, 57 minutes
  • Publisher: Random House Audio

 

 

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Published by Jonetta | Blue Mood Café

24 thoughts on “The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce #RachelJoyce #JimBroadbent @PRHAudio”

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  9. I found this book very moving when I read it but I found the film unbearably sad. I’ve read the other books in the trilogy which are very good. I think Queenie’s story is my favourite.

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  11. I really liked Harold and his story when I read it a few years ago. I have now listened to all the books in this series and it completed the picture for me. Wonderful review, Jo and I am glad you enjoyed Harold’s story.

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