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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This character, Queenie, is unforgettable. What a life. I'd recommend to readers who like memoirs and books about shame, redemption and love.
I loved this book. You know how a book just is so much better because you read it at just the right time in your life. That is how The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and The Love Song of Miss Queenie Henderson were for me. I'm glad I was able to read/listen to it soon after reading about Harold Fry. It was so interesting to hear about Harold's journey and Queenie's journey from their point of view. I loved all the life lessons and love lessons.
Such a lovely book! This is Queenie's side of the story, written while Harold is walking to see her. So heartbreaking, in the sense of all the years of lost love, as well as the fact that Queenie is dying. The lovely folks who are also in hospice care with Queenie add so much zest to the book, and it's a little heartbreak every time one passes away. The main takeaway from this book (and the previous installment of Harold's story) is that you have to say what you feel and to live your life to the fullest. Life is too short, so you have to have fun while you can. Such a lovely series.
I've never read a book about dying that was so full of life. This book is a companion book to The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry , and I have to say, I liked this one even more than the first! I thought I was going to find the hospice scenes too depressing, but honestly, most of them are hilarious. This was a wonderful book that had me laughing and crying, sometimes both at the same time. Great read!
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This companion book to The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry touched on some pretty deep themes but maintained a fairly light tone. I enjoyed thinking about what it means to wait or love or keep a secret that eats you up inside -- all of which came from the story that was, in itself, less interesting to me. If you're going to read both, I think reading Harold's story first makes the most sense.
Three and a half stars.
Rachel Joyce says of The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy:
'I have not written a sequel to The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry...I have not written a prequel either...I have written a book that sits alongside Harold Fry'
And she has done so beautifully.
Rachel Joyce says of The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy:
'I have not written a sequel to The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry...I have not written a prequel either...I have written a book that sits alongside Harold Fry'
And she has done so beautifully.
This is a heartbreaking and incredibly touching book. This is [b:The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry|13227454|The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry|Rachel Joyce|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1335816092s/13227454.jpg|18156927], told from the perspective of Queenie Hennessy, and although I really enjoyed Harold Fry, this book was exponentially better. Set in hospice care and populated with lovable and unforgettable characters, this book is about finding peace, humor, and dignity at the end of the line. I am so grateful to have known Queenie and was so moved throughout the whole story. Rachel Joyce and is a master and I can't wait to see what she does next!
Whew--this one pulled me in despite featuring a few of my less favorite tropes: flashbacks, a story we already know the (sad) outcome of, hints of a (sad) secret, and, oh yes, terminal illness, esp while I was also reading Cathleen Schine's They May Not Mean to But They Do. Still--Rachel Joyce can create likable characters! I wonder if she can ever give them happy lives?
*Thanks for Kathie for the lend!
*Thanks for Kathie for the lend!
I've nothing to add to the more eloquent reviews, other than to say that I believed this story. The measure of a five star book for me is whether or not it left me thinking "that would never have happened". I believed it all.