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The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry: A Novel Audiobook
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(3.00) - 19,800 listener ratings
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Synopsis
In Rachel Joyce's ambitious novel "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry", retirement is not treating Harold Fry well. Not used to having him home all the time, his wife is starting to be agitated by everything he does, and with little else to do, Harold is terribly bored. One morning their bickering is disrupted by a mysterious letter from a forgotten friend, Queenie Hennessy, wishing Harold well and saying her last goodbyes.
On his way to mail his reply back to Queenie, Harold is inspired to deliver his goodbyes to her in person. Determined that as long as he walks Queenie will live on, Harold sets out to walk the 600 miles to his old friend's bedside. His wife, glad to be rid of him for a while, wishes him well and lets him go even though he's off to see another woman.
Harold sets out to save a friend and ends up on an adventure. Throughout his journey he finds one quirky stranger after another, and each of whom takes him back to the man he used to be and the things he loved about his life before it got boring. By the time he makes his way to Queenie, the old Harold has been reawakened, he's found a new vigor for life, and he is set on saving his friend. Will he succeed?
Harold's story is beautifully written, and delivers a poignant message about living and what happens when you forget what life is all about. As Harold travels with his ever-growing band of pilgrims, the reader travels with him, and Joyce does a terrific job of hooking the reader on every word.
Rachel Joyce is a British author and lives with her husband and children in Gloucestershire. While she does have experience writing plays for BBC Radio Four, and has won the Tinniswood Award for Best Radio Play, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry is her debut novel. At the 2012 National Book Awards, Rachel won the "Writer of the Year" Award.
"I found this book to be very readable and engaging. Harold Fry wasn't as boring and ordinary as the author would at first have us believe. His life unfolded during the journey and the ending didn't disappoint."
— Jane (5 out of 5 stars)
Awards
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An AudioFile Editors’ Pick in May 2013
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A New York Times bestseller
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Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award
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Selected for the Barnes & Noble Discover Award
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Selected for Oprah’s Summer Reading List in 2012
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A 2012 Washington Post Notable Book for Fiction
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Longlisted for the 2012 Man Booker Prize
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Winner of the 2013 ALA Notable Book Award
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry Listener Reviews
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Jana, 4/20/2024
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" Lovely, lovely book. Unusual story and not the kind of character I would normally choose to read about but I ended up really rooting for him. Easy, sweet read. "
— Anita, 2/20/2014 -
" about the people we meet as we walk our lives journey and how we matter to each other....interesting..... "
— Morrisonmm77, 2/16/2014 -
" A great journey read for every adult. "
— Claudia, 2/9/2014 -
" Great story. The author definitely has a wonderful handle on human nature and relationships. I was disappointed its some of the bad language and felt it was unnecessary. "
— Alisa, 2/8/2014 -
" Didn't enjoy this at all. "
— Tanya, 2/4/2014 -
" Almost great. But not quite. If you love whimsy and wistful its certainly worth a read, but its missing that final magic that pushes it from fairly good to great. "
— Dan, 2/4/2014 -
" I thought it was quite depressing. "
— Mary, 2/2/2014 -
" Although seemed a bit slow it was an inspiring story of self awareness of a middle aged couple and what they had endured throughout their marriage and relationship. Throughout the book it makes you aware and think of your life and why and how we turn out the way we do. I liked this book "
— Jan, 1/20/2014 -
" Bland characters, mellow plotline, uninspiring storytelling. The only great thing about it is its charismatic title, book cover and first chapter, which did catch my attention. The rest was just a bore to get through. Not a pageturner, how this managed to get on a bestseller list is beyond me. "
— Stephanie, 12/9/2013 -
" I enjoyed this book so much. It is a quick and lovely read. "
— Nita, 12/6/2013 -
" So sweet and sad. Beautifully written tale that makes you want to get up and move. "
— Amelia, 11/20/2013 -
" Read of 2012 for me. "
— Kayleigh, 11/19/2013 -
" What a moving story. It's the simple premise that if you put one foot in front of the other, you will eventually get to where you want to go. "
— Debbie, 11/1/2013 -
" Can't finish this right now. For some reason it's not capturing me in the way I want or need at the moment. Perhaps I'll return to it later... "
— Marna, 10/21/2013 -
" I became a bit bored with this book, but wanted to find out how it ended and what happened to Harold's son. I was easily distracted while reading this. Not a great pick. "
— Carolyn, 8/21/2013 -
" I finished this book a couple of days ago. needed time to process, what a moving book and how the author captures you into Harold's story. "
— Michele, 8/5/2013 -
" Starts so slow I thought, why am I reading this but it picks up speed so subtly I didn't notice how caught up in Harold's walk I had become and I never saw the sad, sad ending coming. "
— Diane, 8/1/2013 -
" It's a bit slow but it's very good. Finished it quickly "
— Andrea, 7/18/2013 -
" uplifting realism if it can be had "
— Mumsicle, 6/7/2013 -
" So well written.....one of the best I've read in quite some time. Lots to discuss at book club! "
— Sandra, 3/13/2013 -
" Meh. I really wanted to like this book more. The concept was very interesting; but the characters were stunted in their developments. There was a lot of repetition of memories of the characters. "
— Marie, 12/7/2012 -
" Gentle and sometimes a bit slow, but like a rose opening one petal at a time reveaingl a truly delicate and beautiful experience. "
— Angie, 9/14/2012
About Rachel Joyce
Rachel Joyce is the author of the international bestsellers The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy, and Perfect. She is also the award-winning writer of more than twenty plays for BBC Radio 4. She started writing after a twenty-year acting career, in which she performed leading roles for the Royal Shakespeare Company and won multiple awards.