In this slender, lyrical novel, Rachel Joyce offers a story as epic and encompassing as that wide-armed angel of the North. A journey of redemption, forgiveness and love. A journey you don't want to miss. Helen Paris, author of Lost Property Set during the pandemic, although that is not the prevalent theme, it is a time when solitude is perhaps even more the norm, it seems the perfect time for Maureen to face the loss that has framed these last years. And so she goes on a journey to say goodbye.

I read A LOT of books, so a few weeks after I finish one, I am often forgetting the details of story. Rachel Joyce has done it again! She rounds of the trilogy perfectly in this novella. It’s beautifully written, it brings not only the journey alive but you feel as if you are travelling with Maureen. She is a somewhat spiky cactus, she finds friendship hard, she takes offence all too easily and has the ability to say completely the wrong thing. At the start you definitely hold her at arms length but the powerful writing allows us to glimpse beneath her armour and so you grow to understand her and her pain and I end up liking her much better at the end. She meets some lovely characters, a big shout out for Kate who features in Harold Fry who is a warm, wonderful, caring individual. Maureen learns much from her. If you’ve read ’The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry you will appreciate the growth in their relationship, and their own personal growth, as well. Maureen is not typically open to conversations with strangers, she barely is comfortable with those she knows and there aren’t that many of those. She has had heartbreaking loss and it has taken its toll on her, and those around her. She has been unable, afraid to truly face that loss. And so she decides it is her turn to take a journey, a journey that ends up being fraught with frustrations, fear and pain, but also a sense of gratitude for the opportunity to say goodbye.Ten years ago, Harold Fry set off on his epic journey on foot to save a friend. But the story doesn’t end there. Ten years ago, Harold Fry set off on his epic journey on foot to save a friend. But the story doesn't end there. Book Genre: Adventure, British Literature, Contemporary, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mental Health, Novella This is a deceptively simple story of love, forgiveness, fulfilment and hope. I can't think of any other novelist quite as tender and compassionate as Rachel Joyce, who understands that miracle of transformation when human fragility becomes strength of spirit. Bel Mooney

The characters of the other books feature as well, and its lovely to catch up with Harold and Rex, their wonderful next-door neighbour, albeit quite briefly. I loved Harold and Rex’s love of the good old sandwich as well!Joyce gives her characters insightful observations: “a person could be trapped in a version of themselves that was from another time, and completely miss the happiness that was staring them in the face” in this novella filled with humour and heartache, wit and wisdom. The illustrations by Andrew Davidson at the start of each chapter add charm. Short, beautifully written: a joy to read.

This book was beautifully written, as are all the books in this series. I think it would be most helpful to read the other two books in the series before reading this one, as the context is important to the story. She gets lost early because of roadworks and asks a man for help. He gets out his phone and asks about her satnav – she doesn’t use it. She’s learned to do online shopping because of the pandemic, but she’s not comfortable with it. 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. This was a satisfying way to bring closure to Harold's story. Novella length, no earth-shattering revelations, just a quiet story of a woman who tried. Fry fans will delight in this tale of a redemptive journey and the kindness of strangers. A new Joyce. Rejoice anew! Saga magazineA few years have passed since Harold’s trek to see Queenie at the hospice, and since we heard Queenie’s story before she passed.

This fascinating compendium traces phobias and manias through their rich social, cultural and medical history. We learn that in the US, a third of all people with phobias suffer from a terror of cats (ailurophobia) or dogs (cynophobia). As well as well-known behaviours, Summerscale highlights less obvious fears such as hippophobia (fear of horses, made famous in Freud’s “Little Hans” case study) and coulrophobia (a morbid fear of clowns). The Fell Poor Maureen. She just never figured out exactly how to deal with the world. Unlike her husband Harold, she can't open herself up to friendship because she's too suspicious. Unlike his friend Queenie, she can't find joy in the midst of tragedy. The suicide of her son 30 years ago has left her angry and withdrawn.When Maureen sets out on her journey, she doesn't realise that she's going to find her true self, but ultimately that is what she does. Profoundly moving and deeply human, this story of self-discovery and forgiveness is essential reading. I loved every word. Bonnie Garmus The final novel in the Harold Fry trilogy, this is a heart-stopping story told from the view point of his wife Maureen as she takes her own journey and discovers how to reconnect with the world. This was a very moving story and I so empathized with Maureen.. maybe/probably mostly with Maureen in this third story. THE AUTHOR: Rachel Joyce has written over 20 original afternoon plays for BBC Radio 4, and major adaptations for both the Classic Series, Woman's Hour and also a TV drama adaptation for BBC 2. In 2007 she won the Tinniswood Award for best radio play. She moved to writing after a twenty-year career in theatre and television, performing leading roles for the RSC, the Royal National Theatre, The Royal Court, and Cheek by Jowl, winning a Time Out Best Actress award and the Sony Silver. She lives with her family in Gloucestershire.