In MARCH our ever growing band of happy book readers chose to focus on an author,
Rachel Joyce.

Rachel is a British writer who has written over 20 plays for BBC Radio plus major classical adaptations for TV. Her debut novel, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, became an international best seller and was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Book Prize plus the Man Booker Prize in 2012. A lively discussion filled with many insightful comments and thoughtful expressions of ideas resulted in a very enjoyable meeting.

The following group all read THE UNLIKELY PILGRIMAGE OF HAROLD FRY.

JUDY De - thoroughly enjoys the work of the author. She felt the pilgrimage of Harold (walking hundreds of miles to Scotland) gave him a purpose in life ie to get to see his friend to say both 'sorry' and 'thank you'.

SHEILA - was initially annoyed by the storyline and wondered was it was all about. As she continued reading she realised the characters, behaving in very peculiar ways, all were extremely depressed and had mental health issues. The book then made sense to her and Sheila thought it was a well constructed story.

ED - thought the relationship between Harold and his wife and son was terrible. Even the pilgrimage to see his friend, Queenie, revealed another unhappy connection.

ROSEMARY - saw Harold and his wife as 'empty nesters' who now felt they had no purpose in life. Just what life is like for some people.

CLAURENE - read 165 pages then gave up as she was bored.

JOAN - said the story showed the routineness and predictability of life. Harold found a purpose, something that was lacking in his circumstances. The pilgrimage gave him a freedom that he didn't have in his 'beige' life. It was a sad but very worthwhile read.

JUDY (our newest Judy) - listened to an audio reading of the book, the voice of Jim Broadbent bringing to life the story. The heartache and loneliness of Harold was so apparent in the reading. The experience was very enjoyable.

ANNE - didn't finish the story but intends to. She enjoyed what she had read and thought it well written. Anne liked the gentle humour and the eccentricity of the characters.

JAYNE - was half way through by the time of our meeting. She usually likes fiction that is very visual but this book really grabbed her attention. She could relate to the long walks, the way the mind wanders and overcomes sore feet, blisters etc. She liked the way, on the journey, the various characters appeared just at the right time to help and support Harold. Jayne found the novel fascinating.

DIANE - travelled, mentally, to many of the places as Harold passed through them. She liked the song by John Bunyan and 'sang' along. Whilst a depressing storyline, she became passionate about Harold's issues and thought the descriptions very real.

PAULINE - declared it was soapy, unbelievable and ridiculous! (our group really does enjoy diverse opinions.) How could a man walk 500 miles, in only the clothes he left home in, be joined by a series of misfits only to say goodbye to an old friend. Definitely not the type of book Pauline enjoys.

BEV - felt there has been a dearth of books about people going on long walks or pilgrimages eg Bill Bryson and meeting characters along the way. To her the book was bland, repetitive and not worth it.

PRU - didn't even open the book.

JUDY J - enjoyed the book very much. She thought Harold was walking away from all his problems and liked the journey.

JUDY G - was unsure why other people were brought into the walk, it confused her. However Harold had a reason for walking plus a definite destination so she didn't mind the book.

The next group all read PERFECT.

KRIS - Thought the story, filled with eccentric people was poignant. It explored class structure, loneliness, anxieties, friendships and timeless issues about life. She found it fascinating.

WENDY -  enjoyed the story. She liked how the relationships were slowly revealed, how the mother kept doing what (her husband and society) expected of her but gradually unravelled. The surface life of the family was beautiful but underneath there was a very unpleasant underbelly.

JO - said the book was both funny and sad. It interested her and she liked the twist at the end.

LAURA - loved the story and the writing style. The setting on the Moors was descriptive and enhanced the story. It was not a plot driven book but rather character driven filled with anxious people. An uncomfortable story but very worth while.

LESLEY - kept wondering why 2 parallel stories were being told with no clear link between them. Eventually, with an interesting twist at the end, the book made sense but was glad there was a twist or else it would have been quite a tedious read. There was a sadness as the mother slowly declined, not being able to keep up the charade of having a perfect family and life. The 2 young boys - both with emotions and thoughts they couldn't control made her wonder how life eventually would treat them.

The 3rd group read - THE LOVE SONG OF MISS QUEENIE HENNESSY.

TAM - felt she should have read The Pilgrimage of Harold Fry first so she could better understand the relationship between Harold (and his background) and Queenie. Queenie, at the end of her life battling terminal cancer, had loved Harold, never told him and felt guilt about this. She had however become involved in Harold's son life and that gave her some comfort. The other characters in the nursing home were all so excited that Harold was on his way to see Queenie that it gave them a reason to struggle on. Tam saw an analogy with the jig saw puzzle in the story. She thought it represented all the pieces of her life slowly being put together as her health declined.

JULIA - didn't say much about the book.

DENISE - said the characters in the hospice gave the story colour and humanity, whereas Harold Fry was bland with a seemingly inconsequential life.  At least his visit to Queenie achieved something.

PAMELA - was reading War and Peace so definitely found no time for Rachel Joyce.

PAT - confused her reading list and so read an autobiography - I AM PIGMY by Isaac Bacirongo. A true account of a man, from the Congo, who wanted to better himself. Isaac came from a pigmy tribe and was born into very humble beginnings. With great drive and resourcefulness he managed to educate himself, leave his homeland and succeed in todays world. Pat found it amazing what he has been able to achieve and that his story is still so current in todays world.

Lesley