I remember falling for Harold when I read his pilgrimage story. And then I couldn’t miss out on Queenie’s story. When the opportunity to finally hear Maureen’s side, I didn’t hesitate. This is definitely not a stand alone book.

Maureen has been obviously portrayed as a cold and closed off character. I haven’t cared for her from the beginning. In sharing her side of the story, the author shows how Maureen doesn’t exactly care for her own behavior but how she also can’t “help it”. I’m thankful for the opportunity to have heard Maureen’s story, while excited for who’s next in Joyce’s storytelling.

Getting this book from Netgalley was the inspiration for me to start the series from the beginning, and out of the three books, it ranks second in my preference. A nice wrap up to the Harold Fry series. It’s always nice to read people come around to who and where they are in life and love themselves. Free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

I loved reading Maureen's story. I am such of a fan of the Harold Fry and Queenie books and this book is a charming wrap up of their story. Although this book is the third part of the trilogy it can be read as a stand alone. However, do yourself a favor and read all three.

A lovely companion to Rachel Joyce’s books about Harold Fry and Queenie Hennessy - this time showing the perspective of Harold’s wife, Maureen, 10 years after his walking journey. She is not an easy person to love, but as she takes her own journey (by car, not by foot, thank you very much) we see how much of her prickliness and particularness has grown from never quite feeling like she is in the right place, and from her vast grief of losing her son 30 years prior. Reflective and illustrative of the range of difficult human emotions but ultimately redeeming. It’s the perfect (short) length to encapsulate all of these feelings without dragging, and I'd recommend for readers of books like Olive Kitteridge or Florence Gordon, with the prickly older protagonist navigating a new reality but also mourning something in her past.

Maureen by Rachel Joyce

I loved this sweet story of forgiveness and redemption as told by Harold Fry’s wife Maureen. Ten years after Harold’s three month walking pilgrimage to see his dying friend Queenie, Maureen figures it’s her turn to venture out.

As Maureen travels by car to find her son David, she has many mishaps caused by her own hand. She isn’t used to being out among people. In her stream of consciousness thoughts, “Maw” openly and frankly spills her faults and weaknesses to the reader.

Her transformation is the story. Maureen admits she was “a difficult child,” who is disappointed with herself as an adult as well. We go on this “winter journey” with Maureen and hope along with her for a positive outcome. Delightful from start to finish, any reader will adore this five star novel. Many thanks to#PenguinRandomHouse and #NetGalley for this ARC.

Four Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Maureen by Rachel Joyce is the third book in the Harold Fry series. This can be read as a stand-alone, as the author sums up the previous books, but it would be better to read this series in order.

Story Recap:
Maureen Fry is living a quiet life with her husband Harold. It’s been ten years since he completed his iconic walk across the country. Maureen receives a message from up north that makes her uneasy. With her husband’s encouragement, Maureen makes the same journey her husband made. But, Maureen is much more practical than her husband and she decides to drive up north instead of walking. Her journey is more than just the miles she drives.

My Thoughts:
This is one of those series where it really should be read in order. Maureen is a severe woman, who is not likable in the beginning. But, as the story goes along, I began to understand her better and by the end I really liked her. And I can see why Harold is so kind to her and loves her.

The book is sad and then hopeful, and funny at times too. I enjoyed the journey along with Maureen. This is a poignant ending to the series.

Recommendation:
I highly recommend Maureen to anyone who enjoys fiction. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Group and the author Rachel Joyce.
I did not read the previous two novels in the series and I still enjoyed the story of Maureen,
We see and feel thru the book Maureen disappointments and hearbreak while she travels to Queenie’s garden.
I was so moved by her story and I could not put it down.
Well written
Recommend. 4 stars

This was a wonderful end to the Harold Fry trilogy. I actually really loved Maureen from the beginning, even though she's cranky rude. (She actually reminds me a bit of Elizabeth Strout's Olive Kitteridge who I also love). I think this short novel gave us a lovely look at why Maureen is the way she is.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A very slow burn of a book, but more an unveiling of a person’s identity, their disappointment in themselves, the move from an external anger at the world and internal punishment of the self to acceptance and gratitude. I did not like Maureen at first and thought I would never finish the book, but something about the author’s ability and skill kept me reading. The would be a great book club addition.

I loved the story of Harold Frye, his journey on foot and the encounters with the colorful characters along the way. This is the continuation of the journey from the perspective of Maureen, Harold's wife, and her coming to terms with the loss of her son. People handle grief in different ways. I did find Maureen a bit "stiff" and inflexible, intentional by the author's perspective. It is a heartfelt road trip to Queenie's garden and the tribute to Harold and her dead son. Initially angered by the tribute an accident humbles Maureen and allows her to come to terms with her loss. Not as enjoyable as Harold's journey, but charming regardless.

In an earlier novel, Harold Fry undertook a walk across England. Ten years later, disturbed by some information about a memorial garden, his wife, Maureen, travels a similar route by car. It is not an easy journey for her, as she has become accustomed to a quiet life with her husband and is not the most pleasant or social of women. Yet, she feels this journey may help her find some solace about her son’s suicide which occurred thirty years earlier

This is the third book in a trilogy and it was as distinct disadvantage that I had not read the first two; I kept feeling that I had come in on the third act of a play.

More of a novella, this book poignantly addresses loss and the nature of grief, as well as Maureen’s emotionally painful childhood. Maureen’s tale is both heartbreaking and hopeful. As a standalone, it is a touching story, but I would recommend reading the prior novels before this one.

Maureen is the third book in the Harold Fry series following the phenomenal The Unlikely Pilgrimage of a Harold Fry and the poignant The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessey. Originally titled Maureen Fry and the Angel of the North in Britain, this 192-page novel completes the saga with Maureen’s journey to Queenie’s garden. It’s a solid reflection on forgiveness and love. It starts slowly until Maureen and the story find their way.

"Maureen" by Rachel Joyce is the third book in the "Harold Fry" series, but can definitely be read as a standalone story. I did not read the two previous books in the series prior to reading "Maureen" and I understood the story just fine. This really is a lovely book; I was moved by Maureen's story. I loved following the growth of Maureen's character as she undertook a journey to "find" her son who tragically took his own life. Though this book is short on pages and really can be read in one sitting, it is not short on depth. Maureen's story is one of family, grief, love, and forgiveness, and is a story a reader won't quickly forget. Reluctant to leave Maureen's world behind, I have already placed the other two books in this series on hold at the library.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the privilege of reading an advanced digital copy of this lovely book, in exchange for my honest review.

I read the first book in this three book series about Harold Fry for my book club and loved it. I thought I had read the second one about his friend, Queenie, but I have not read it. That did not stop me from enjoying this one. I do think my reading of Maureen was made better for having read Harold’s story.
I loved learning more about Maureen and her journey toward healing. She is quite a quirky character that some may find difficult to like at first. I felt that I saw through her crustiness to her core and loved her immediately. Harold and Maureen’s son committed suicide thirty years ago. She has never truly dealt with her grief, but finally does so through her journey to Queenie’s garden. It was a pleasure to go along with her on this journey.

I have never read a book by Rachel Joyce before and I had no idea that Maureen was part of a book series. However, I still feel like it worked as a standalone novel.. but I do wish I had more of the backstory from these characters as this novel was a little on the short side. Overall the writing was excellent and I enjoyed this book.

Maureen, unlike her husband Harold Fry, is a tough character to like. She's OCD about cleaning, has definite views about the proper way to do things, and finds it difficult to say nice things. But Maureen has struggled with grief for half her life, because 30 years ago her son committed suicide.
This is the story of a journey she takes, and her beautiful, unexpected transformation.

I had not read the two previous books in this series and I didn't really have to although, I probably will now. I just love Maureen. She's a little cantankerous, a little judgemental (ok, a lot) but I'm that way, too. She has a good heart but it is buried so far under her grief that she just can't get to the good part of her heart without some help. I love the beautiful writing from Rachel Joyce and can't wait to read more books by her. 4.5

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance free e-reader copy of Maureen by Rachel Joyce in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this heartfelt, beautifully written gem of a novel, the third in the trilogy that began with The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. Although I think it could work as a standalone novel for those who have not read the previous two books, it works best as the final chapter in the story as a whole.

As the title indicates, this novel focuses on Maureen, Harold’s wife of many decades. Joyce excels at character development, and we learn much about Maureen through her own internal monologue as well as snippets from her childhood and especially the years following the death of her only son David (this is not a spoiler). Throughout the novel, Maureen learns more about herself and how to interact with the world - and her own demons - in a kinder, more open and meaningful way.

Five stars.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I think I need to start by saying that Harold Fry and Queenie Hennessy are some of my all-time favorite literary characters, so I feel almost protective of them. Even after reading the author's preface, I was skeptical that this book needed to be written at all because the first two books in this now-trilogy were so completely perfect on their own.

I'll say a couple things: First, this is not a standalone book, you must read Harold and Queenie's stories before Maureen's. Second, of the three, this was my least favorite. Third, despite those things, I'm glad to have read it. Maureen deserved the same healing and peace that Harold and Queenie found.

No Thoreau for me!

You won’t find me tagging along with Thoreau as he heads to his beloved and silent Walden Pond. I’ll be hanging out with Dorothy Parker, yukking it up with her at a loud bar in New York City. What I’m trying to say is I will choose people over petunias any day. I don’t stop to smell any roses, though I know that’s what everyone tells me I’m supposed to do. I can’t help it. It’s not that I’d rather smell exhaust fumes from taxis (and actually, I don’t love the frantic hustle and bustle, either); it’s just that trees don’t talk, and I need conversation. Nature is full of heat and bees and mosquitoes and snakes. I need wit and absurdity.

So what I’m getting at is Maureen would choose Thoreau over Parker in a nanosecond. I mean Joyce the author and Maureen her character. Let me start by saying that I completely loved this book, nature finger-points and all, until I got to the last quarter. Then all the sudden I noticed bushes and buds were trumping plot and character.

This made me realize that I had had a similar reaction to Joyce’s first book in the series, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. Too much nature description! Maureen is the third book in the series; I skipped The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy after my lukewarm reaction to the first book. I will say that Joyce does describe nature really well. This book is set in England, and you get a good look at the countryside. (But where is Dorothy Parker when you need her?)

Joyce wowed me with her Miss Benson’s Beetle, though. It ended up as an all-time favorite. Yes, it had a lot of nature (it was in the jungle, which for some reason I do like to visit from my chair), but there was so much plot surrounding it, I didn’t have to stop and see the trees.

So after Ms. Benson, I was all ready for Maureen. For most of the book I was in hog heaven, but then it changed to hippo hell, as heavy branches took over and weighed me down. Luckily, this book is a novella, so the pain didn’t move in for life.

Besides all the description, I also didn’t like the way the story was wrapped up. It was sort of a cliché, something we’ve seen before and is sort of a cheat. So I ended up giving the book 4 stars instead of the enthusiastic 5 stars I had been planning on.

Maureen is Harold Fry’s curmudgeonly old wife, who’s in her 70s. With his encouragement, she heads off for a trip to check out a place whose existence is causing her grief; she wants to see it once and for all. I loved her road trip, her obstacles, and her grumpy thoughts. Maureen was plenty vivid and I was endlessly curious about what would befall her next. There are some dynamite scenes, one involving an RV.

And as happens often when I’m reading about a nasty character, I went from really not liking her to growing fond of her. And even when I didn’t like her, I felt a lot of compassion. There is one horrendous (very short) scene where she fat-shames a stranger, but most of the time her scowls and scathes aren’t over-the-top mean. Joyce shows her stuff by developing a complex character with a lot of hang-ups who ends up learning a thing or two about herself. To me it’s an art if an author can create a character who seems like a real bitch and who then wins our hearts as she suffers and grows. I hesitate to admit that Maureen is quirky, as I’ve recently proclaimed I was done with quirk forever. It goes to show I’m fickle. Or more so that you can’t expect all quirky people to bug the hell out of you.

Lovers of the first two books will be completely enamored with this book. Though it’s fine as a stand-alone, I wish I had recently read the first two books in the series because I know that I would have liked the book even more.

If I could chop off the last quarter of the book, I’d have a huge winner. I’ll still read whatever Joyce writes. She’s a brilliant writer, nature lover or not.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.