Notes from May 2017 group

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce -
Discussed on Wed May 3, 2017 at Geneseo Public Library

Meet Harold Fry, recently retired. He lives in a small English village with his wife, Maureen, who seems irritated by almost everything he does. Little differentiates one day from the next. Then one morning a letter arrives, addressed to Harold in a shaky scrawl, from a woman he hasn’t heard from in twenty years. Queenie Hennessy is in hospice and is writing to say goodbye. But before Harold mails off a quick reply, a chance encounter convinces him that he absolutely must deliver his message to Queenie in person. In his yachting shoes and light coat, Harold Fry embarks on an urgent quest. Determined to walk six hundred miles to the hospice, Harold believes that as long as he walks, Queenie will live. A novel of charm, humor, and profound insight into the thoughts and feelings we all bury deep within our hearts, 

There were many serious topics throughout this novel.    – bad parenting, child suicide, troubled marriage, getting older/dementia, retirement, sickness/hospice, etc,  The plot and characters were interesting.  We had to keep reading to find out where this story was going.  Our group had mixed feelings on this book, but it generated very good discussions.