3.5+⭐rounded up

The third and final book in the Harold Fry trilogy by Rachel Joyce revolves around Maureen Fry, Harold’s wife, who we have met in the previous two installments but get to know a bit better in this short novel. We meet Maureen ten years after Harold’s “unlikely pilgrimage “from Kingsbridge to Berwick-upon-Tweed to meet the terminally ill Queenie. Their relationship is now more stable and we see them as a caring couple in post-pandemic 2022. Rex, their neighbor remains a friend and agrees to look out for Harold when Maureen embarks on a short trip up north for a purpose close to her heart. As she drives up to Embleton Bay, we are privy to Maureen’s memories of her childhood and her private thoughts on Harold and the events from ten years ago, their marriage, Queenie, and her memories of her son David who has been gone thirty years. Maureen is by no measure as affable as Harold and is not quite comfortable meeting strangers. Thus this journey is not an easy one for her – neither the drive nor the memories but it is a journey that will affect change in the way she views the world, the people around her and most importantly herself.

With elements of sorrow, insight, humor and wisdom, Maureen by Rachel Joyce is a moving and impactful read. There is no doubt that the author writes beautifully and is capable of exploring human emotions with honesty and compassion. As we are given a window into her thoughts and feelings, you can feel Maureen’s pain, confusion, guilt and grief. Maureen was not a favorite character for me, though I did sympathize with her. Rachel Joyce gives us readers the opportunity to not only get to know her as a person but to understand her motivations and in doing so enriches the story that began with Harold Fry’s 600+ mile walk. The narrative flows easily and though this is a short novel, it does pack an emotional punch. What did bother me a bit is that due to the short length of the novel Maureen’s insight, realization and transformation did feel a tad rushed. But overall, I'm glad I got to spend time with Maureen. I also loved the segment at the end of the book titled “An Email Correspondence with Maureen Fry” which details email exchanges (fictitious of course) between the author and Maureen.

I’d recommend reading the books in the series order as it would be difficult to relate to the events mentioned in this book without knowledge of the characters’ backstories and past events.

Many thanks to author Rachel Joyce, Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this novel and share my thoughts. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This book is due to be released on February 7, 2023.

I read about Harold several years ago, in truth I listened to his story, as I myself walked many miles around my town. Years later I read about Queenie and her love letters and though I don't recall all the finer details of either I remember how they made me feel & how deeply they touched me.

I was thrilled to get to read Maureen as an ARC to bring me back to their world. Remind me of that feeling.

The first bit of Maureen's story I didn't like her, I liked the book yes, but not her character. I came to realize she reminded me of my grandmother, and then of myself. Grief is very real, and people handle it in very different ways. My heart ached and broke for Maureen the more I got to know and understand her. Maureen's story was one of closure, and acceptance - but how does one accept the death of a loved one...with time is all I can say, along with tears and anger and every other emotion they see fit.

In the end, I loved Maureen, and I think she loved herself again, as imperfect as she (& life) can be.

Rachel Joyce is, for lack of better words, an inexplicably outstanding author; the way she can paint a picture is unmistakable but the way she can paint true and deep emotions, is unmatched.

I began this book recalling I liked Harold just fine, recalling I loved Queenie and in the beginning greatly disliking Maureen, in the end they will all hold a place in my heart & though I wish I could live in their world longer, I'm glad they all found the peace they so deserved.

Maureen is a moving story of loss and moving forward, stumbles and all. As the third book in the trilogy, I knew Maureen and sympathetic towards her loss but not a big fan of her as a person.

This book takes place 10 years after the concurrent timelines of Harold and Queenie. Maureen and Harold had been living a quiet life together since his return from his Pilgrimage but Maureen still feels lost in her loss of her son.

Maureen makes a journey north to check out the garden that Queenie had created along the coast of England. She was informed that there was a sculpture representing her son David and the more she though about it the more she felt the need to see it. I didn't really understand why she didn't have Harold go with her: I wish she had explained that better. I also really didn't understand why an 80-some year old woman wouldn't get on a train! But this way we do get to understand Maureen better and she is able to meet more people.

It was a good conclusion to the series but I didn't feel as connected to Maureen as I had Harold and Queenie.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for this honest review.

How could I not love a book named after me or the final in the Harold Frye trilogy. Read the entire trilogy in order and you will be glad you did. Such a great, wonderful story! Highly recommended!

This is the third book in the Harold Fry series. I have not read the first two, but I think this stood on it's own pretty well. Maureen has been married to Harold for many years, and they live a very quiet life in a small town in England, even quieter after their only child committed suicide twenty years ago. She has a very tough exterior, and spends her time taking care of her husband. Maureen learns that someone that Harold knew has created a garden memorial to their son, and wants to go see it and figure out why this person thinks that she can lay claim to the tragedy. It is a long driving journey for someone who rarely drives much less on the highway, and she runs into some trouble on the way. Against Maureen's better instincts, she lets herself be open to other people's love and kindness, and she finds some peace. This is not light, but it is heartwarming in the end. #maureen #haroldfry #racheljoyce #bookstagram #booklover #reader #bookblog #lovetoread #fictionreader #bookreview #bookrecommendation #readersofinstagram #bookloversofinstagram #takeapagefrommybook #readallthebooks #booksbooksbooks

This one was just ok to me I found it very slow and hard to connect to these characters as I have in many of her other books . Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley

Very happy to read Maureen's story in Maureen by Rachael Joyce. How she came to understand her feelings, and in turn her actions, was very meaningful.

I very much enjoyed the first book in this trilogy, but I read it so long ago, I confess to not remembering most of it!
Unfortunately Maureen didn’t keep me reading, maybe because I can’t remember the details from the previous books.
It is a short book but I still needed something to keep me going and the fact that is was set in the pandemic felt a bit ‘too soon’ to me.I found the constant referring to masks and social distancing a little irritating.
Having said that I am sure those with better memory recall than me will very much enjoy Maureen and I will recommend it to our patrons who have read the previous books.

I was very excited to finally get to learn about Maureen Fry. A wonderful addition to the story of Harold Fry and Queenie Hennessey.

With the publication of this book, we sadly put to bed the third part in the trilogy of Harold Fry. The circle is now complete but the story of Harold Fry, Queenie and Harold's wife, Maureen, live on with a feeling of slipping on an old sweater, warm and comforting. These are books to navigate with tender care as Joyce often speaks between the lines. There is so much said indirectly as the dialogue marches on.
Maureen, having unresolved grief about her son's suicide, takes a mini pilgrimage of her own, though by automobile. She travels to the site of Queenie's garden which had a memorial to her son David. Being a shorter journey and possessing a spiky irritating personality transforms this novella into a different undertaking. Along the way, she has physical difficulties and judgmental observations, which eventually are soothed as she allows herself to let go as much as she is able.
I found that the 10 years since I read the first book made a big difference in how I experienced this novel.(This is a trilogy where reading the first book is important to understanding the third.) I did go back and read a synopsis of the story, but what I was unable to re-capture is how I felt when I was reading it. Having given it 5 stars, I know I loved it but I was not able to infuse that feeling into the present subject matter. The journey felt too brief for Maureen's grief to be assuaged. I never warmed up to prickly Maureen even as I began to understand the origins of her personality. That said, at 133 pages it is definitely worth taking the plunge as these three characters finally come to rest...and we say amen!

Of Rachel Joyce’s characters in the Harold Fry series, Maureen is the most prickly. Is it because she is working so hard to keep her emotions in check, her grief, her doubts, her fears to herself? Maureen is on a journey to come to terms with all of that. It is not a comfortable journey, but the destination is worth the trip.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

3 Stars

This is the 3rd installment to the companion reads "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry" and "The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy", and centers upon the wife of Harold Fry. Maureen Fry was a complex and rather carmudgeonly figure that begged to be fleshed out among this trilogy of characters. She is also the most unlikeable, and my opinion did not change much by the end of the book.

The book launches where Maureen is embarking on a pilgrimage of her own, with the blessing and urging of her husband Harold. I don't want to elaborate on the details as the reader needs to discover this along with Maureen on their own. Along the way she is as forthright and unpleasant as ever, but learns some lessons along the way.

I don't think this book could flourish as a standalone without its two full-bodied predecessors propping it up. As it is this final epitaph held middling interest with me- only providing a burst or two of emotional nirvana towards the end. At just under 200 pages- and some of that tag-ons such as acknowledgements, an interview with Rachel Joyce, an imaginary email correspondence between the author and Maureen Fry, and questions and topics for discussion- it seems to function merely as a diminutive wrap up to this series.

Thank you to Random House Publishing for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

Rachel Joyce is a remarkable writer, particularly of "that point where tragedy and comedy meet," as she describes her interest in the interview provided at the end of this book. I gave her debut novel, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, 4 stars back in 2013, and it's incredible to me that I like the third in this series even more. Harold was and is such a universally lovable character, but his prickly wife Maureen must have been so much more of a challenge to write in a way that she gets right under readers' skin and into their hearts. I'm sad that this trilogy is finished, but eager to read more by Rachel Joyce.

I love how Maureen's character has been filled out here, all her quirks and flaws and hangups ring so true, I cringed both physically and audibly as I read about her behavior. The way she lives in her head, gets time trapped in there and the fact that she keeps herself busy rather than processing difficult feelings and emotions, I found all these things relatable to some degree, and endearing as all get out.

Although I lived in London the past 3 years, I never heard an RV referred to as a "truck" before and Kate's home being labeled as such confused me. That said, Maureen's comical response to these accommodations was one of the funniest, most horrifying bits in the book, in my opinion. Queenie's garden seems such an abstract idea and yet the way Joyce has described it makes it vivid in my mind.

Thanks to NetGalley and The Dial Press for this ARC. This work is slated for publication Feb 7, 2023.

This third book in the Harold Fry trilogy - you definitely need to have read The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy to appreciate and understand this book. It focuses on Harold's wife, Maureen and references characters he met on his journey. It is a short book but a good end to the story. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

This novel is a sequel to The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, and is only moderately successful as a stand alone. Having read about Harold's journey, it was interesting for me to learn about his wife Maureen's story. I found her an unlikeable character, understood because of her long term depression and grief following her son's death. However, it was hard to muster much interest in her outcome, and for readers unfamiliar with the background I think it would be hard to care.

I ADORED the first in this Harold Fry trilogy, liked Queenie's story, and was excited to see the full closure of the trilogy with Maureen's story. I struggled with this last one. Maureen has been an unlikable character for me all through, and though I had a bit more sympathy here, I still had a hard time caring about what happened to her. However, I am glad Joyce chose to bring the series to an equitable closure by letting each main character voice their story.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much NetGalley and publisher for the ARC. I fairly wolfed it down, but then realized near the end it was like piece of fine chocolate. It had to be nibbled at and then let the sweet, rich taste overwhelm your senses. Ms Joyce made fine work of the conclusion of this trilogy. Maureen has changed since Harold returned home, but there were still glimmers of the woman she was in the first book. Excellent book.

Maureen by Rachel Joyce is the third book in the Harold Fry trilogy. As the book gets started, Maureen is just about to go on her own pilgrimage, as encouraged by Harold. She’s been down and somewhat disagreeable in the 30 years since their only child took his own life. She gets word of a garden in which there’s a shrine built to her son, and is determined to travel to see it. Maureen is the complete opposite of Harold who is easy going and makes friends easily. He encourages her to reach out to the friends he made on his pilgrimage. There were times when Maureen reminded me of Lucy Barton, and more often of Olive Kitteridge.. When Maureen is injured in a fall, it is a friend of Harold’s who comes to her aide. Maureen had been critical of this person before, but has a change of attitude after. I liked the Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry more than Maureen, as sometimes felt like Maureen dragged, it was a lesson in how kindness can achieve all kinds of miracles and ended on a hopeful note.
Thanks to Net Galley for the opportunity of an advanced read in exchange for this honest review.
#NetGalley. #Maureen.

Ten years ago, Harold Fry walked 600+ miles to see a dying friend. His wife, Maureen, stayed behind at home. But now, it's ten years later and it’s Maureen’s turn to take a trip. Things have changed and Covid is still a major concern.
“Maureen was not an easy person. She knew this. She was not an easy person to like and she wasn’t good at making friends.” Maureen is in deep pain and it makes her very prickly. She doesn’t make friends, in fact, she is often outright rude to people trying to help her. I struggled to relate to her.
This is definitely not a book to read as a stand-alone. You really need the background of the prior two books. It’s also the weakest of the three books. This is also a story where not much happens. <spoiler> And then, we’re expected to believe she has this great epiphany which never seemed real to me. </spoiler>
My thanks to Netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.

Maureen is the third book in the Harold Fry series. I read The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry a couple of years ago, and then read Queenie's story, so when I saw that Ms. Joyce had written this book about Maureen, I was eager to read it. Out of the three main characters, Maureen was the least likeable, in my opinion, but I was still interested in reading her story. Unsurprisingly, this book is quite short. It's the story of a woman that is lost in her grief for her dead son. It doesn't seem that she was ever a particularly happy person, and it stands to reason that her journey to find peace is quite different than Harold's. I found myself feeling irritation towards Maureen throughout most of this book, but I am happy that I had the chance to read more about Maureen in order to get some closure to this trilogy. Rachel Joyce is an excellent writer, and she obviously has a great understanding of people and their personalities. I was very happy to read that she has a new group of characters in mind for her next book. I have enjoyed all the books that I have read by her, which included, Miss Bensen's Beetle, The Music Shop, and this trilogy. Thank you, Netgalley and Random House Publishing for giving me the opportunity to preview this book in exchange for an honest review.