63 pages 2 hours read

Rachel Joyce

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2012

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Chapters 15-23Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 15 Summary: “Harold and the New Beginning”

After his time with Martina, Harold feels renewed and walks with lightness, covering almost eight miles per day. Using Martina’s advice, he takes better care of his feet, and the rucksack she gifted him makes carrying his belongings less cumbersome. Spring blossoms all around Harold, and he feels as though his journey is only beginning: “He had faced his shortcomings and overcome them, and so the real business of walking was happening only now” (156). He passes through Glastonbury and many other towns, marveling at the natural beauty around him. He begins using his guidebook again to identify the native plants. He also continues to send postcards to Queenie and buy her trinkets along the way. On a visit to a cathedral, he decides to pray and ask for help for those in need and forgiveness for his unbelief. He continues to walk with strangers and listen without judgment to their stories. Through them, he understands each person is on a journey and learning to survive all the pain and heartache that life can sometimes bring.

Maureen tells him over the phone that she moved back into the main bedroom, but Harold assumes this means he will move to the spare room.

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