I have loved the previous two Harold Fry novels, and Maureen is a lovely, poignant conclusion to the trilogy. As Rachel Joyce herself explains, in the two earlier novels, Maureen was a difficult woman, cold, judgmental, and hard to like. That makes this novel all the more special: Maureen is still difficult, cold, and judgmental, but learning her backstory, we learn to love her and mourn for all she has lost, including her connection with others. We join Maureen as she sets off alone to visit Queenie's garden, with Harold's encouragement. She has been told that there is a memorial in the garden to her son, David, and Harold hopes that Maureen can find her way back to living if she can risk all the vulnerability that will come with the journey. Beautifully written, nuanced, and patiently observed, this novel is both tragic and charming -- a book to be re-read and savored.

Another wonderful book. A real treat to hear Maureen's story and to see her growth from her journey. These books are a delight to read and very meaningful

"Maureen" by Rachel Joyce is Book #3 in this Authors' "Harold Fry" Series!

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry is where this series begins telling Harold's story of walking 600+ miles to hand deliver a letter to Queenie Hennessy who's gravely ill and spending her final days in hospice. Harold believes if he delivers his letter, Queenie will live long enough to receive it.

The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy tells Queenie's story of her days in hospice. Queenie knows Harold is on his way to visit her and realizes she must confront the past she left behind twenty years ago. She writes a poignant letter to Harold while he walks to deliver his letter to her.

Both books have concurrent timelines, so while Harold is walking, Queenie is writing.

Now it's ten years later, and time to hear from Maureen, Harold's wife. She's about to take a journey of her own and, in the mix, gives her perspective of all that's happened before and after Harold's journey to visit Queenie.

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.

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 find most amazing about this author and her series is how well she knows each of her main characters, Harold, Queenie and now Maureen, and how openly and honestly she presents them to her readers.

This is definitely a series that needs to be read in sequential order and each book has its own uniqueness, yet the total package is a complete journey. I can't wait to see what this author comes up with next and look forward to meeting more of her characters!

I highly recommend this book and series! 4.5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House, and Rachel Joyce for an ARC of this book. It has been an honor to give my honest and voluntary review.

Maureen is a great read for fans of the Harold Fry series, but certainly isn't a stand-alone book. In fact, I found myself a bit confused at times from details I forgot from the original novel. Still, Joyce has created a beautiful story in the telling of Maureen's trip to visit Queenie's garden in order to see a memorial to her son. Heart-breaking, funny at times, and certainly real, Maureen is a character that you soon won't forget.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

I hadn't read the other books in the series so this didn't make too much sense to me. But from what I read, it was interesting albeit sad. Thanks for letting me read this advance copy!

I love this series and this was a wonderful installment. I am glad Maureen got her own story, and her own adventure. Coming to terms with the loss of her son, and her place in life. It was very heartfelt. Could be read as a standalone but would make much more sense read in the series. Highly recommend!

Spare, beautiful novel that is a continuation of "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry" books. I haven't read the two previous novels but have put them on my to be read list after reading "Maureen". Maureen is an elderly woman, set in her ways and trying to make sense of the modern world and the changes brought on by the pandemic. Her husband Harold gained some recognition for a long walk he took to meet up with a dying friend, and now it is Maureen's turn to make her own journey. Many years earlier, Maureen's only son David took his own life and Harold's friend Queenie was said to make a shrine to David in her garden. Maureen is determined to see the shrine and therefore seeing David.

The journey is difficult for Maureen as she is not familiar with the directions and she has some stumbles along the way. The journey by car also gives Maureen a chance to meet Kate, a woman her husband befriended on his own journey. Kate is kind of the opposite of Maureen; new age, kindly, living in a messy trailer with her daughter and granddaughter and Maureen finds it difficult to accept her kindness. We come to find out what Maureen needs and has always needed is to come to terms with her son's death and to find a way to continue to live. A lovely reflection on life, parenthood, the sadness of death and acceptance. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for a review.

A few years have passed since Harold’s trek to see Queenie at the hospice, and since we heard Queenie’s story before she passed.
Now it’s Maureen’s turn to take a little trip but she does so by car.
She’s off to see Queenie’s garden where there are tributes left for people… one of them in her garden is left there for Harold and Maureen’s son David who died by suicide.
Maureen needs to do this, she needs to find some peace.
This was a very moving story and I so empathized with Maureen.. maybe/probably mostly with Maureen in this third story.
These books are just wonderful.. if you haven’t done so.. read them!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC!

If you enjoyed Rachel Joyce's previous books about Harold Fry and Queenie Hennesssy you won't want to miss this one about Harold's wife Maureen.

As the prior two novels focused on Harold and why he made his pilgrimage, then Queenie's book on her life and death, now we get into Maureen's story. I enjoyed the first two of this "trilogy" more than this last book but it was good to get her perspective, listen to her work through her grief.

Publication date is February 7, 2023 by Random House Publishing Group. Genre: General Fiction Adult, Literary Fiction, Women's Fiction.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader's copy of this book. I was not compensated for the review, all opinions are mine.

It was great to get to spend time again in the world of Queenie and Harold, and to learn more about Maureen. I enjoyed Maureen's literal and inner journey to acceptance and to allowing herself to be helped.

Thanks to netgalley for an ARC of this book.

I think I've read everything Rachel Joyce has written, and I like her books more every time I read one. To me, her biggest strength is the way she can make her characters resonate - as you read about them, you become more and more attached to them as you get to know them.

This is the third in a trilogy, starting with The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, moving on to The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy, and now winding up with Maureen. Harold Fry's wife, probably the least sympathetic of the three main characters, is a somewhat difficult woman, hard to know, perhaps hard to get along with. While it's easy to just dislike her without thinking too much about it, having the focus completely on her in this book allows us to get to know her and to understand why she is the way she is.

It's a book that leaves you feeling warm at the end. While it's not sappy, you come away with a feeling that things are really okay - and that's a good feeling.

I have not read the first two books of this 3 book series, but I was told it was also a stand alone. I do own the first one and will go back and read it soon.
I got enough information from the story about what, and why Maureen was making this trip.
Maureen goal was to go see an eclectic garden, “Queenie's Sea Garden” which had a memorial to their son, David, who they had lost to suicide so many years ago, and she needed something to be able to come to grips with her grief after so many years.
Maureen did not walk to it, like Harold had years ago, but instead took the car wanting to do it her way. Maureen is also not as outgoing as her husband and had a hard time relating to people.
This journey was hard for Maureen and you will see her friendlier side evolve as she lets people in along the way.
A wonderful story, of growth and healing. I look forward to reading the other two book in this trilogy.
One of my favorite books this last year, was also by this author “Miss Benson's Beetle” such a strange and interesting story.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for a copy of this book.

Maureen (A Harold Fry Novel) by Rachel Joyce

After Harold Fry's journey, which takes place at the same time as Queenie's journey, I thought Harold's wife, Maureen, had reached her own better emotional place. She did in a way, she knew she was glad to have Harold with her even if his time is spent peacefully playing games or looking at nature with their neighbor, Rex. Maureen even went through some major steps to attempt closure concerning the suicide of their son, David, thirty years ago. But really, Maureen's brain and heart were brewing discontent, with no way that she could see to relieve it, other than sometimes erupting in anger at those around her. So sadly, I couldn't leave Harold and Maureen living happily ever after with their neighbor, Rex, because along comes the third book in the series, entitled Maureen.

Maureen is no tiptoe through the tulips, waving at butterflies type of woman. There has been too much hurt and embarrassment from her childhood belief that she was the center of the world and that she would be the one to conquer it every step of the way. As early as her first days in school she learned she wasn't all that after all and it was downhill from there. Once Harold and Maureen had their only son, she wanted to be the best parent to him but things did not work out at all. I think the term "difficult child" applied to both Maureen and David and that difficulty can lead to the term "difficult adult".

Just like Harold went on his spontaneous walking trip to visit Queenie, ten years after Queenie's death, Maureen embarks on a driving trip to visit Queenie's famous garden. Maureen has more time to prepare but in many ways she is just as unprepared for her special journey as Harold was for his. The first half of the book was disturbing to me because Maureen didn't need to have such a terrible time of it if Harold hadn't encouraged her to take a trip for which she was so ill prepared. Then Maureen hits rock (or wood) bottom and has to ask for help from the least likely person. The second part of the story is a transformation for Maureen and I liked that part of the book better although I feel like I can't trust it.

Am I going to find out next that the gentle, kind neighbor Rex has to go through some terrible, health threatening trial before he can be happy, when I have innocently thought he was content all along. Really, what a wonderful side character Rex has been for me throughout this series. I hope Rex can live on in peace. Overall, I enjoyed this series very much but it shows me that the less I know about some people, the better.

Thank you to Random House, Dial Press Trade Paperback, and NetGalley for this ARC.

Maureen was not a likeable character when we met her in The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. We get to look deeper at why she is the person she has become through this novel presenting her point of view. She is not an easy person, but she is evolving as she takes her hard pilgrimage to seek some peace and resolution as her husband did before.

I absolutely loved The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and The Lovesong of Miss Queenie Hennessey. so I was thrilled to hear that a book was coming from Maureen's point of view. I was not disappointed. Having just turned 50 myself I love seeing a book with an older woman who still has lots to learn about life. She has already grown so much since the beginning of Harold's journey and she learned in this book that she still had a way to go. She is a fierce. loving mother, even though her son is gone. She has strong opinions and will let you know what they are. She likes things the way she likes them. Maureen is definitely prickly.

But there is room for growth, and the journey she takes allows Maureen to see that and respond. I have great hope for her life as she moves forward after her own pilgrimage.

3.5 end of the trilogy stars

This time we have the story from Maureen’s point of view years after Harold and Queenie’s stories. Maureen is a difficult character to like but through this book I came to understand her more. Maureen has a journey of her own to undertake, both physically and mentally, to process her grief.

It was difficult to read in places, but I liked the growth Maureen experienced in the novel. Unlike her husband Harold who made friends along the way in his journey, Maureen finds it difficult to be kind to people and bristles at interactions with others.

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!

I was so happy to see this book from the perspective of Maureen. Harold Fry has long been a favorite of mine. I really enjoyed my walk with him and I find myself periodically thinking about that brilliant story. I also loved the book about Queenie, so I had no doubt that Maureen's story would be fantastic as well. I really enjoyed this one and was thrilled to visit with these characters again.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced digital copy.

Maureen by Rachel Joyce is the third in a series, which I was not aware of when I requested it. Although it is not necessary to read all of the novels to read this one, it would be helpful to know the backstory to fully appreciate this novel. In style, Maureen reminded me of Elizabeth Strout's novels, kind of everyday and humdrum stories, although I enjoyed this more that Strout's. It was a slow moving novel, not one of my favorites although I loved the garden she mentions at the end, it's an interesting concept.

Thank you to the author, Random House and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Most importantly, a big thank you to NetGalley, Rachel Joyce and Random House ublishing Group for providing me with a copy of this publication in exchange for an honest review.

A much anticipated (at least for me!) third book in the 'Harold Fry' Trilogy, 'Maureen' is the story of her own kind of pilgrimage. After the dust had settled from Harold's walk across England, Maureen doesn't feel like /her/ story is quite finished. Joyce states, "But Maureen is not like Harold. By turns outspoken, then vulnerable, she struggles to form bonds with the people she meets, and the landscape she crosses has radically changed. And Maureen has no sense of what she will find at the end of the road." And so this is her journey, albiet not on foot, to find her own peace and closure for the open wounds in her's and Harold's life. It might not be the cacophony that her husband's once was, but it's no less grand or beautiful.
The end of a lovely and superb story, tied in a neat bow by the talented Rachel Joyce, 4 solid stars for Maureen'.

“Maureen” is a lovely conclusion to the Harold Fry series. Lyrically written, Joyce explores grief, how we grieve and how grief changes us. I could empathize with how Maureen feels and how she navigates her grief.

Through the novella, we come to understand more of Maureen's choices and to sympathize with her. This series is such a sweet read, I was very happy to return to it and now that it's complete, it's on my list to reread in its entirety.

NetGalley provided me with an e-edition of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
#Maureen #NetGalley