Synopsis:
When Harold Fry nips out one morning to post a letter, leaving his wife hoovering upstairs, he has no idea that he is about to walk from one end of the country to the other. He has no hiking boots or map, let alone a compass, waterproof or mobile phone. All he knows is that he must keep walking. To save someone else’s life.
My Rating: 5/5
My Review:
My thanks to Jim Hooper, a work colleague/friend who thought I might be interested in this story. He loaned me this book almost a year ago and I promised to read it over Christmas. I am now sorry, it took me so long as this was a fantastic story!
Set between South Devon and Berwick-upon-Tyne, the reader finds themselves confronted with loss, relationships, love, a journey of hope & discovery, courage, positivity, faith/belief, blame and forgiveness.
This is not a fast-paced read of sorts, with a motivational but also sad plot, the build up is gradual and evenly paced. The story-line consists of a physical but also a metaphorical journey of one man and his life changing experience. We, the reader, want to see the hero succeed – but does he?
Harold Fry, the protagonist is a wonderfully written character. Through his journey he reflects on life, decisions/choices he has made and some home truths bubble to the surface. He shows us it is “okay” to step outside our comfort zone and that sometimes, taking a leap of faith, can lead to wonderful, new beginnings but also reveal some things we may not wish to see!
Maureen Fry, his wife, was also a great character. I must admit, I did not like her at first. That is, until I understood why she was the way she was. I really felt for her and could see things from her point of view as the story unfolded. I won’t say too much about this as that would spoil the story – needless to say, she finds herself and really is the anchor of Harold’s sailing ship.
Along the way, we also come across many other characters who add depth and understanding to the trek until we finally come to meet Queenie Hennessy. Although she only actually plays a small role, her imprint on Harold, Maureen and others throughout the story is huge.
This book will have your emotions all over the place. There is a life-affirming feel to this story that will leave you reflecting on the power of positivity, or at least that is how it made me feel!
Do I recommend this book? I most certainly do! As a die-hard lover of crime fiction, thrills and suspense – this book was a welcome step outside my own comfort zone. So if you want to mix it up a little bit, click the link and join Harold’s journey of discovery! I think you will be pleasantly surprised!
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I like that book shows there’s good to taking a leap of faith and bad as well. More often than not books will show the positive and not the rest.