Maureen Fry and the Angel of the North: From the bestselling author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry (Harold Fry, 3)

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Maureen Fry and the angel of the north by Rachel Joyce is the third book in the Harold Fry series and I can’t believe it is ten years from the first book.

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. Rachel has also written over twenty original afternoon plays and adaptations of the classics for BBC Radio 4, including all the Bronte novels. She moved to writing after a long career as an actor, performing leading roles for the RSC, the National Theatre and Cheek by Jowl.

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DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, Doubleday for providing a digital ARC of Maureen Fry and the Angel of the North by Rachel Joyce for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions. 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. This is book 3 in the Harold Fry trilogy and while it helps to have read them all, it’s not essential. It’s been years since I read Harold so I could barely remember him and it didn’t matter. Maureen is very much a character in her own right and this story is hers and hers alone. Profoundly moving and deeply human, this story of self-discovery and forgiveness is essential reading. I loved every word. Bonnie Garmus

Rachel's books have been translated into thirty-six languages. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Book prize and longlisted for the Man Booker Prize. Rachel was awarded the Specsavers National Book Awards 'New Writer of the Year' in December 2012 and shortlisted for the 'UK Author of the Year' 2014. Maureen isn't the easiest person to like. There is no way she could be described as a 'people person'. She is rigid in both her beliefs and actions. What other people think matters very much. And yet, like her I did. I was mortified for her over her little 'accident'. I cringed along with her at Kate's living conditions. I wanted to grab her and make her sit down and properly take in Queenie's garden. But of course, I couldn't.

Maureen is a woman, tough on the outside, but tender and fragile within. Through her husband's, Harold's journey, Maureen feels that she must go on her own journey ten years after Harold's famous walk. She leaves taking the car and along the way we are listening to her thoughts, the difficulties of her life, her failure she feels as a student, and mother.

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. I admire Rachel Joyce's writing and how she creates living, breathing characters. Readers who loved her books about Harold and Queenie will want to read this one, also. Maureen is written as a novella and is about Harold's wife. I don't believe it can be read without benefit of having read at least one of the earlier books. PDF / EPUB File Name: Maureen_Fry_and_the_Angel_of_the_North__Maureen_-_Rachel_Joyce.pdf, Maureen_Fry_and_the_Angel_of_the_North__Maureen_-_Rachel_Joyce.epub Reduced by physical injury, Maureen has to accept the kindness and care Kate unstintingly gives. Captive in her disability, she connects with sweet little Maple, Kate’s granddaughter, and eventually, finally, Maureen comes to terms with her grief over David. This is a fitting and deeply moving end to the trilogy of Harold Fry. A portrait of a woman adrift in grief, it is as fragile as a songbird and just as beautiful. Sarah Winman

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The landscape changes too as Maureen makes her way towards the North – from sunny beaches to bustling cities and quaint villages – each place offering something unique that adds another layer to this multi-faceted story. It’s a journey full of warmth and kindness; despite its hardships, it is ultimately uplifting and heart-warming in its conclusion. Harold's walk and Queenie's death was 10 years ago, and Maureen decides to make her own pilgrimage to Queenie's seaside garden, hoping to find the monument to her son David that she's heard about. She goes alone, driving, not walking. Maureen is the third book of Rachel Joyce’s Harold Fry trilogy. As such, it completes the story begun 10 years ago with The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by allowing his wife, Maureen, to venture into the world herself in search of answers or closure on problems that have been crushing her for years. She will drive, not walk, but she will also make a northward journey, encountering strangers and having no clue how to deal with them. She is not Harold. Along the way, we learn of her love for Harold but also of her biggest disappointments and her distrust of much of everything else in her life. I would like to say that Maureen had a total transformation, but that would have been unrealistic. By the story's end, Maureen had thawed somewhat and grew a bit more understanding of other people and herself. 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.

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. After retirement, Queenie had settled in a small home in northern England. She liked gardening and poured all of her energies into forming a beautiful garden. After Queenie's death, it became a community memorial garden bearing homage to people's loved ones. Maureen is interested in visiting it to see a driftwood marker dedicated to David, Maureen and Harold's son. An unforgettable story. It's beautiful all through, but the closing chapters are just astonishing, transcendent and hope-filled and life-affirming.' Donal Ryan It does feel like this series is complete now and I am glad to have read all three of these books. I think it is best to read all three in the series. I did like the first two quite a bit and just didn’t connect as much with Maureen. I do like this author, and I look forward to her next books! This is touching, emotional, moving and sad as Maureen assesses herself, learns a lot and find the peace she craves in one really beautiful scene. She finds kindness and understanding in places she least expects it and the whole experience is heartwarming.A complex woman trying to make a reasoning out of the death of her son thirty years ago and just discovering herself is the theme of this tale. Despite this she puts on her driving shoes, gathers her determination and sets off, in the darkness of January. Will she reach her final destination? What will she find on the way? Ten years ago, Harold Fry set off on his epic journey on foot to save a friend. But the story doesn’t end there. The main difference in this book from the other two is the length. This is a novella and although I thoroughly enjoyed this read, it did feel noticeably short. I wanted as much of Maureen as the author wrote of both Harold and Queenie. With that said, what was written about Maureen was both revealing and satisfying. What I love about this book is how vague the synopsis is, allowing readers to go in blind. It's an intensely personal journey for Maureen and you feel her pain the entire way. You realize how lost she is from herself, how out of control she feels in her life, and how different she feels from Harold and everyone else. You will get to know Maureen intimately, warts and all.