Book Review: The Unlikely Pilgrimmage Of Harold Fry By Rachel Joyce

I first heard about The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry on The Diane Rehm Show, when Diane was interviewing the author, Rachel Joyce.

It sounded like an interesting premise–a retired man goes out to get the mail, and keeps walking. He doesn’t have Alzheimer’s, but rather decides to go visit an old friend who is dying of cancer, figuring that if he can walk across England to reach her, she can fight the cancer. Thus, his “unlikely pilgrimage” was born.

I did not really enjoy reading this book. At times, it seemed as plodding and endless as Harold’s journey. I know Harold is an older man, but how can it take anyone all day to walk less than 5 miles? I kept reading in the hope that an intriguing reason behind Harold’s mission would be revealed, or at least that something more exciting would happen than Harold getting another blister, but I mostly was disappointed. Yes, we get a better understanding of Harold  and his motivation as the book progresses, but it is never very satisfying.

This book got mixed reviews on Good Reads, so you may enjoy it more than I did!

What are you reading?