synopsis of the unlikely pilgrimage of harold fry

“Goodly weird, or maybe weirdly good, ” he had said, describing my case to me. Paxton has played with earlier in the appointment. “It combines 9-11, the Japanese tsunami, and World War II all in one story.”Īs we swapped literary recommendations, I couldn’t help but repeat over and over in my head the turns of phrase Dr. “I can’t remember the name of it, but it’s something like ‘Some Time’ or ‘A Place in Time.’ It’s really good, ” he said, referring to Ozeki’s A Tale for the Time Being, I later discovered. I handed it to him, and he jotted down, Ruth Ozeki and Some Time then handed it back.

As he searched through my medical record for a piece of scrap paper –I swear I wasn’t offended-I reached in my purse to grab the wadded up appointment reminder I had received in the mail. “Well I have one for you, then, ” he told me.

As he looked at me, I continued, “It’s a little strange, but it’s really, really good. Paxton stopped writing, waiting for more. “The man, Harold Fry, is on his way to the post office one day, and through a series of events, he ends up walking for weeks instead of going back home.”ĭr. “It’s about an older couple who have struggled for years because of some difficulties with their son, ” I said carefully, not wanting to give away the plot. “It’s called The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, ” I told him. Paxton* asked, pulling his pen from his pocket, preparing to jot the book title down right there in my chart next to the normal test results I had just received. I was just here for a check-up, I reminded myself. These were July 8 stories it was now August 15.īeyond the outdated People magazine, my other options lay firmly in the oncology educational realm-pamphlets and magazines aimed at the newly diagnosed, the family care-giver, the seeker of second opinions.

My choices were limited though: Paula, James’ Gandolfini’s untimely death, or Kim and Kanye’s early baby days. More than once he has jotted down a title to add to his own reading list.īut for this visit, I had come empty-handed, forced to pass the time in the waiting room reading about Paula Deen’s downfall in People magazine, a story that did little to distract me as I anticipated the test results the doctor would soon share. Because he’s such a talented physician and because his services are so frequently in demand, let’s just say I’ve been known to bring a book with me to appointments to make the wait a little easier. “I have a book to recommend, ” I told my oncologist as my check-up appointment was winding down.

Synopsis of the unlikely pilgrimage of harold fry