“If we don’t go mad once in a while, there’s no hope.” —Rachel Joyce
Anyone else got a case of the Sunday Scaries? How is Monday only a few short hours away? I’m here to say that three is not the magic number if it marks how many jobs you currently have. Summer term is kickin’ my fanny. But not nearly as much as National Chemical. (The essay consulting gig is just fine.) I’m bound to go mad. Let’s just hope it’s a once-in-a-while affair.
Of course, three is the magic number where Rachel Joyce and Harold Fry are concerned. I have no good reasons for just now reading The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, a decade after it was published. How did the slow-but-steady walkin’ Brit land at the top of my tbr pile? The answer’s pretty simple: I miss Marge and Enid. No surprise there. I do have a surprise however—like Harold, I just kept going. I went on to read The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy and Maureen: A Harold Fry Novel.
My Favorite of the Three
I’m so glad I met Harold. He is memorable in the same way Ove is, but he’s no curmudgeon. He’s 65, retired, and a bit listless where life is concerned. When he receives a letter from a former co-worker and old friend, Queenie Hennessy, who writes from her hospice bed to say goodbye, he writes a quick reply. He walks to drop it in the post box. He passes one box, then another. Harold decides to keep walking. Maybe Queenie will live if she knows he’s on his way. While Harold walks the length of England he learns to live again. I’m with the reviewer who said, “A gentle and genteel charmer, brimming with British quirkiness yet quietly haunting in its poignant and wise examination of love and devotion.
Different Angles
The companion novel to Joyce’s bestselling Man Booker Prize finalist revolves around Queenie’s point of view. Even though she’s bedridden, Queenie takes us on a journey of her own. It’s true, “The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy underscores the resilience of the human spirit, beautifully illuminating the small yet pivotal moments that change a person’s life.” Joyce is too good. Her prose is excellent, and her insights are even better. I love an author that makes me think and feel deeply. I love that her novels are laced with hope.
Lovely Closure
The finale of the Harold Fry trilogy is short and redemptive. It’s Maureen’s turn to speak. Who is Maureen you ask? If you know Harold, you know his wife, Maureen. She also takes a journey up North, to Queenie’s beach home in Embleton Bay, where she comes to terms with her past. Understanding isn’t always easy to come by. Maureen “is a quiet miracle of a book.” And Rachel Joyce, like our girl Rae, is an absolute keeper.