Looking for a quiet but heartfelt read? Look no further! 3.5/5. 
 This review was originally posted on my book blog. 
 The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry uses the well-worn trope of a physical journey as a catalyst and/or framework for an internal voyage of discovery. Given the protagonist's age and physical condition (he's not exactly a trained hiker), his journey is understandably slow and rather ponderous, but thankfully never dull. Harold and Maureen's story is touching, often sombre and always heartfelt. There's no flash, bang or nail-biting tension in this book, just lots of stories about broken, fragile people. And given that, it's surprising just how bright and hopeful the narrative is. 
 The hope probably comes from the fact that this is also a classic quest story and, as such, it's a very effective one. We're immediately on board with our hero's mission and gladly follow him on his difficult journey, willing him to reach his goal. 
 Maureen and Harold are the heart of this story and they're wonderful. I'm such a fan of books which depict characters over the age of 60 as real people with complex inner lives, and these two are great. 
 If that weren't enough, I was also amused by just how many things are deeply English about this story. And I use "English" and not "British" on purpose. Read it to see what I mean :-) 
 Overall: I don't think I've done a good job of selling The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry to you. But if you're looking for a character-driven, gentler read (perhaps after a string of dark thrillers), this book would be a brilliant choice.