The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce: book review

The UnlikelyPilgrimage of Harold Fry (2012) is the story of a retired man from Kingsbridge on the southern coast of England. He receives a letter in a Turkish Delight coloured pink envelope. It is from Queenie Hennessy, dying of cancer in a hospice in Berwick-upon-Tweed in Scotland – almost as far north as you can get.

Harold and Queenie used to work together in the local brewery. She was one of the first women to work there, employed in the finance department.

Harold pens a sympathy letter to Queenie and walks down the street to post it. But he doesn’t stop. He walks to the next post box, and just keeps on walking, with no preparation, no gear, and no mobile phone, and without saying goodbye to his wife, Maureen. He has this idea that he will walk to Queenie’s hospice. He sends postcards to Queenie to tell her to wait – don’t die yet – he’s coming.

Harold telephones Maureen about every second day. How does she cope with his news, his desire to see Queenie? Will he come back to her? Should she get in the car and bring him back home? And what of their son David?

He hasn’t seen Queenie in 20 years, since the time she left work abruptly. After 87 days and 627 miles (1,009 kilometres), he arrives in Berwick.

This is about a journey, a purpose in life, but it is also about the impact of his spontaneous decision on his wife and their 45-year marriage, the people he meets along the way (their influence on him and his influence on them), the anticipation and the outcome of the eventual reunion.

Comments

2016 update on Rike Park, Tbilisi: from construction to busy park

From a flat patch of uninteresting dirt, Rike Park in Tbilisi, Georgia, has transformed in four years (from 2014-2016) into a busy park full of trees, flower beds, sculptures, fountains, and events. Rike (Rikhe) Park is on the left bank of the Mt’k’vari River (the Kura River) near the Old City of Tbilisi. The Peace Bridge links the right bank to Rike Park. Rike Park is below the hillside Presidential Palace and, via cable car, it is the starting point for the ride to Sololaki Ridge (with the Narikala Fortress and the Mother of Georgia statue). The glass box-shaped cable car terminus was opened on 23 June 2012, and since then the park has continually developed into a ‘people’s park’ where people can walk around, eat at the nearby restaurants, sit next to the statue of American president Ronald Reagan, climb the steps to Avlabari district, and access the sights of Meidan Square, the Peace Bridge, the Metekhi Church, the Old City, the waterfall, the sulphur baths, and t...

The acacia thorn trees of Kenya

There are nearly 800 species of acacia trees in the world, and most don’t have thorns. The famous "whistling thorn tree" and the Umbrella Thorn tree of Kenya are species of acacia that do have thorns, or spines. Giraffes and other herbivores normally eat thorny acacia foliage, but leave the whistling thorn alone. Usually spines are no deterrent to giraffes. Their long tongues are adapted to strip the leaves from the branches despite the thorns. The thorny acacia like dry and hot conditions. The thorns typically occur in pairs and are 5-8 centimetres (2-3 inches) long. Spines can be straight or curved depending on the species. MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom (2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Suda...

Hop on hop off bus tourism comes to Tbilisi, Georgia

City Sightseeing buses have arrived in Tbilisi. The iconic red double-decker buses, a feature of many cities around the world since the company was established in Seville, Spain in 1999, is now in six continents and almost 100 cities. The company established its Tbilisi business in November 2013, with its operations commencing in February 2014. The 90-minute tour stops at 11 major locations in Tbilisi (with 2 to 5 minute waiting times at each location): the Old City (where it commences), Freedom Square, Rose Revolution Square, Marjanishvili Square, the Dry Bridge, Konka, Avlabari, Metekhi, Akhundov Museum, the Sulfur Baths, and European Square. Passengers can hop off at any stop and see the sights, hopping back onto the next bus at any time. Alternatively, passengers can remain on the bus for the whole tour and take photographs when the bus stops at each location. There are one day (24-hour) passes (for 35 lari – about $20) and 48-hour passes for 55 lari, with family d...

FEAST OR FAMINE

Search This Blog