A review by tesshope
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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

4.5

Harold Fry has spent his whole life being careful, doing as he is told, and being sensible. Despite his lifetime of toeing the line Harold finds himself retired without anyone or anything to share his love with, his wife and son don’t speak with him, no one at the job he has worked his whole life is sad to see him go, and his one true friend hasn’t seen him in 20 years. 

Then Harold receives news his friend needs him, and he allows himself to believe in miracles and that he can make them happen if he believes. He starts to walk, for the first time in his long life believing in himself and doing something risky and foolhardy. On his journey, Harold reflects on his life and all the things he would change if he could live his life over again. Knowing he can’t rewrite history just makes Harold more determined than ever to at least do this one thing, walk to his Friend, because he knows that if he does then he can change the future. 

This is a story of hope and redemption. A look at the mistakes in life that seem to build up over a lifetime. It finds a way to say the age-old lines of ‘life is what you make it’ and ‘You only live once’ without being cheesy or patronizing. It’s about needing to not let the everyday struggles let you lose sight of who you are and the people you love. It touches on generational trauma and how it seeps into our personalities and affects us, long after the people causing our trauma are gone. It’s about loving over the decades of a marriage or a friendship and how we all make mistakes and need to forgive one another over and over again but it is all worth it. Because in the end what is there to live for if not the people we care for. 

The only thing I did not love about the book is that the ending seemed a little abrupt and lacking. Perhaps I need to read the sequel to fully understand. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings