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wemz_11's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
kate59421's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism and Suicide
bet78's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A surprisingly hopeful book. Beautifully written.
dinsdale's review against another edition
4.0
This is the companion book to The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. I very much enjoyed this, *almost* as much as Harold Fry.
The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy is Queenie's story, told in part through flashbacks and in part through a letter that she is writing to Harold while she is in hospice with terminal cancer. She is gradually losing the ability to speak and has much to tell Harold, and she is worried that she will not live long enough to see him arrive. We know some of Harold and Queenie's story already, of course, but it was interesting to experience it through a different set of eyes. Also, there is some interaction between Queenie and Harold's son David which Harold was unaware of, and this adds some background to the events of Harold's book. The David / Queenie chapters were probably my least favorite of the book, to me they sometimes felt overdone. There is some overlap in between the two books but this book does not feel like a retread.
What I really liked about The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy was the imagery of Queenie's beach house and sea garden, and the narrative of her life in hospice. The hospice chapters aren't as sad as you would think as she is surrounded by an interesting menagerie of characters. Life there was inherently really sad but not dull. Like in Harold's book, the ending is beautifully sad and wiped me out. Rachel Joyce can really write the melancholia.
The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy is Queenie's story, told in part through flashbacks and in part through a letter that she is writing to Harold while she is in hospice with terminal cancer. She is gradually losing the ability to speak and has much to tell Harold, and she is worried that she will not live long enough to see him arrive. We know some of Harold and Queenie's story already, of course, but it was interesting to experience it through a different set of eyes. Also, there is some interaction between Queenie and Harold's son David which Harold was unaware of, and this adds some background to the events of Harold's book. The David / Queenie chapters were probably my least favorite of the book, to me they sometimes felt overdone. There is some overlap in between the two books but this book does not feel like a retread.
What I really liked about The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy was the imagery of Queenie's beach house and sea garden, and the narrative of her life in hospice. The hospice chapters aren't as sad as you would think as she is surrounded by an interesting menagerie of characters. Life there was inherently really sad but not dull. Like in Harold's book, the ending is beautifully sad and wiped me out. Rachel Joyce can really write the melancholia.
juliachilver's review against another edition
5.0
This was like a masterclass in how to build characters one tiny line at a time. I became so attached to each small character in the hospice that I cried as each one inevitably died, even though there were less than 100 words written about them.
This is not a happy book but it is brilliant.
This is not a happy book but it is brilliant.
emily_galloway's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Crying on the floor rn xx what a book
stingo's review against another edition
5.0
A fine companion novel to [b:The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry|13227454|The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry (Harold Fry, #1)|Rachel Joyce|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1335816092l/13227454._SY75_.jpg|18156927], which tells Queenie Hennessy's side of the story, as a counterpoint to Harold's from the first novel. Joyce cleverly shows the similarities and differences between the two, and fills in some of the gaps from Harold Fry. Very well written, human stories in both novels - highly recommended.
katiebeth80's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sewfrench's review against another edition
4.0
A sweet companion book, not a prequel or sequel, to the The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce.
janey's review against another edition
4.0
Another sweet but not sappy offering. Okay, a little sappy about hospice residents but I've heard worse. But I think I've learned all I need about this quartet -- Maureen and David will have to live on without having my jaundiced eye assessing them.