Have just finished reading The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce. In a novel that is by turns hilarious and deeply serious, Harold sets out to walk the length of England, hoping passionately, but irrationally, to bring healing to an old friend who’s dying of cancer. As readers, we are privy to Harold’s thoughts and musings on a deeply wounded past. As he weathers more than his share of disasters and heartbreaks, Harold also experiences a healing of the heart in a novel that deftly avoids the maudlin and sentimental even as it presents a welcome antidote to the deep cynicism so prevalent in contemporary novels. The characters are beautifully rendered, especially Harold and his wife Maureen. Highly recommended.