Book review: Harold Fry’s unlikely pilgrimage continues with Queenie’s ‘Love Song’
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"THE LOVE SONG OF MISS QUEENIE HENNESSY," by Rachel Joyce, Random House, $25, 366 pages (f)
Following decades of silence between them, Queenie Hennessy writes a letter to Harold Fry to let him know she is dying. He responds with two letters of his own. The first expresses his sympathy. The second asks her to wait for him. He's going to walk across England to see her before she dies, and she must wait for him.
And so begins "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry," a book that entertained readers with Harold's humility, dedication and silent strength during his long journey. Author Rachel Joyce now shares the other side of the story in "The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy."
Queenie is dying of cancer. The tumor makes it very difficult to speak, so while she waits for Harold to walk across England, she writes him a letter. There are a few things she wants Harold to understand before she dies. There are a few things she would like to confess.
Many of the stories shared in "The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy" are familiar to fans of "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry," but Queenie's narration adds a new depth and many more details, particularly regarding Harold's son, David, and one difficult conversation with Harold's wife.
This companion novel is very different, however, because Queenie is in hospice care. While Harold's journey was entertaining because of the people he met along the way, Queenie's story lacks the same depth. Characters come and go throughout Queenie's story, but they are not as vivid and unique as the characters in "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry." But similar to the first book, great surprises await at the end. This second pilgrimage is truly worth the journey.
"The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy" is free of violence but contains several swear words and some limited instances of sexual innuendo.
Alicia Cunningham blogs at bloggingonbooks.wordpress.com
