Bookish Musings on Faith (Kate Soles)

In Rachel Joyce's debut novel, "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry," a retired sales representative receives a letter from an old friend, Queenie, who informs him that she's dying from cancer. Harold scribbles a polite reply and heads to the mailbox at the end of the road. Unsatisfied with such a brief walk, he makes for the next mailbox, then the next one until he finally decides to walk the 600 miles to Queenie's sickbed, convinced that this will somehow help her survive.

Harold carries no possessions and wears only "yachting shoes" but faith and determination become his armaments. Along his journey, he encounters a cast of unique characters from a famous actor to an oncologist to a group of women on a cycling tour. Some applaud Harold for his faith; others deem him crazy to believe that his pilgrimage will end with a medical miracle. As Harold ponders his past, his relationship with his wife and son and his recent interactions with strangers, he begins to see his life in a new light.

Joyce has written a poignant, thought-provoking piece of work that combines the themes of love, friendship, mortality, and burning regrets. Her prose reads beautifully and reflects a painful but deeply spiritual journey. Though at times the novel approaches over-sentimentality, it never crosses the line. It remains a story about faith, persistence, and opening oneself to the world.

The book rewards the reader with a satisfying ending but also leaves dangling questions about faith: what defines it? Where does it come from? Can hope exist without it? Though I often sense a divine presence in my own life, I have a hard time reconciling the tension between belief and knowledge; I remain skeptical that human reason will ever prove the existence of a single deity. But does one have to believe in God to have faith?

I think not. Having faith means recognizing the reality of grace. It means self-confidence. It means persevering in the face of doubt, fear or hopelessness. It means remaining open to the possibility of miracles. It means seeing with the heart first, the eyes second. Above all, faith means a community built on trust, reciprocity and, of course, willingness. I’m sure Harold Fry would agree that “we are here to help each other walk the mile and bear the load.”