Rachel Joyce: Maureen Fry and the Angel of the North

Hi everyone

Maureen Fry and the Angel of the North is the third book in the Harold Fry series by Rachel Joyce. It's not a series where you need to read the books in order but I would recommend doing so just to know the backstory.knowing the backstory adds so much depth to Maureen’s journey
I got my book from Bol.

"Ten years ago, Harold Fry set off on his epic journey on foot to save a friend. But the story doesn't end there.
Now his wife, Maureen, has her own pilgrimage to make.
Maureen Fry has settled into the quiet life she now shares with her husband Harold after his iconic walk across England. Now, ten years later, an unexpected message from the North disturbs her equilibrium again, and this time it is Maureen's turn to make her own journey.
But Maureen is not like Harold. She struggles to bond with strangers, and the landscape she crosses has changed radically. She has little sense of what she'll find at the end of the road. All she knows is that she must get there." 

I really enjoyed this book.

Maureen is not my favorite character in the series; she’s angry, spiteful, impolite, and disrespectful. But because you know her story, because you understand what she’s been through, you excuse her behavior a little more. You sympathize with her, even when she’s at her worst. And I’m glad she changes over the course of the book. She lightens up, starts to see other perspectives, and becomes more open to people and experiences. It’s a quiet but powerful transformation, and it made me care for her in a way I didn’t expect.

Rachel Joyce’s writing is as warm and accessible as ever. The story flows beautifully, never feeling overly dramatic or forced. Instead, it’s gentle, reflective, and deeply human; just like Harold’s journey, but with Maureen’s sharp edges and quiet resilience.

Have you read Maureen Fry and the Angel of the North? Did you connect with Maureen’s journey, or did you find her as challenging as I initially did? I’d love to hear your thoughts!  

Happy reading!
Helena  

Rachel Joyce: The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy

Hi again

The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy by Rachel Joyce is a companion novel to The Unlikely Pilgrimageof Harold Fry (which I loved).
You  can find all my Rachel Joyce reviews here.
My copy has 381 pages and I got it from Bol.

 “When Queenie Hennessy discovers that Harold Fry is walking the length of England to save her, and all she has to do is wait, she is shocked. Her note had explained she was dying. How can she wait?
A new volunteer at the hospice suggests that Queenie should write again; only this time she must tell Harold everything. In confessing to secrets she has hidden for twenty years, she will find atonement for the past. As the volunteer points out, ‘Even though you’ve done your travelling, you’re starting a new journey too.’

Queenie thought her first letter would be the end of the story. She was wrong. It was the beginning.”

This was a particularly moving book. 

Harold Fry stole my heart, but so did Queenie Hennessy. I was hesitant to read the book, that’s why it took me such a long time to get to it but it’s absolutely beautiful.

Joyce’s writing is great, really elegant and very absorbing, she has an eye for detail and she still manages to keep the tone light, humorous and easy to digest despite the harsh reality of the book. It raises some serious life issues but it never gets dramatic or weepy. It’s emotional and very tragic, but in a nice, beautiful way. It’s definitely thought-provoking.
It’s touching, moving and so much more than a story about illness, regret, loss and death.
It made me cry and it made me smile, and sometimes both at the same time.
I loved it a lot.

As an added bonus we got gorgeous illustrations on some of the pages.

5 STARS

Happy reading!
Helena