His story moves people in unexpected ways. For a period of time, an assortment of quirky tagalongs merge into his pilgrimage, as they too search for meaning. He journeys town to town, sharing the purpose of his mission, garnering sympathy and encouragement along the way. The goodness that he discovers in people delivers levity to the narrative. A satisfying change in attitude from a character who sees the glass half empty. His absence allows her time to realize that she does indeed love him. Harold’s wife, Maureen, takes a journey that is more cerebral in nature. Eureka moments of creativity or problem solving can surprise us as we speed along a sidewalk. Many of us have unraveled a tangled issue by going for a walk . Walking becomes a meditative exercise, and long buried thoughts continue to surface. Along the way, Harold tries to make sense of his life.Īs Harold treks along, the memories visit more frequently and in more vivid detail. When he receives a life changing letter from a dying friend, he determines to walk the length of England to deliver a message to her in person. The journey with Harold is an enjoyable one notwithstanding the sorrows that plague his life. He is a sympathetic character who grew on me mile by mile. At 65 years of age, his career is finished, his wife sleeps in a separate room, and his only child is departed going on twenty years. Big things really do come in small packages. I observed its small size, lifted its feather weight, and speculated as to its ability to keep me entertained. When a friend shared her copy of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, I agreed to give it a go. I suppose I’ve assumed a correlation between the number of pages and the satisfaction I will derive from reading them. Books with heft tend to draw my attention, the weightier the better.

The unexpected journey of harold fry