The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry: Chapter 15 Summary & Analysis

Harold continues walking. Having stocked Martina’s rucksack with emergency supplies, he feels better prepared, as if he is beginning the journey again. He watches the sky and land change each day. Having learned from his mistakes, Harold stretches each morning. He sends postcards to Maureen, Queenie, and the garage girl and collects souvenirs. In a cathedral, Harold reflects that many buildings started as human leaps of faith. He prays for the will to continue and apologizes for his lack of faith. Harold meets many people and concludes that everyone is similar and unique in their persistence and tenderness. He feels he has been waiting all his life for this journey.

Harold calls Maureen, who says she has moved back to the main bedroom. Harold privately assumes she moved his things into the spare room. Maureen reminisces about their first meeting, but Harold cannot remember being so bold as to approach her, or what he said to make her laugh. He spends the rest of the day thinking of their early life together, when he worked several jobs to save for their future. Maureen often kept him company at these jobs, wanting to be near him. The night of their wedding, Maureen’s beauty overwhelmed Harold, who hid in the bathroom. The memories are painful and full of regrets. He remembers the deaths of Maureen’s parents and how he was once enough for her.

Harold enjoys the peace and newfound ease of walking outside, but he dislikes spending his nights indoors, as he misses the natural world. Thinking of Queenie waiting for him, he remembers their frequent journeys together while working for the brewery. She often brought him candies and they talked easily in the car. Queenie once made Harold laugh so hard he had to pull over, but when he shared her joke with Maureen and David, it got no reaction. Queenie was curious about David’s time at Cambridge. Privately, Harold worried about his son, who was obviously drinking and smoking cannabis.

Reflecting on their time at the brewery, Harold wonders if Queenie will remember the barmaid who claimed to be pregnant with Napier’s baby before disappearing. Napier often threatened his employees with violence. Harold feels ashamed for not standing up to Napier—only Queenie was brave enough. The last time Harold saw Queenie, she told him something serious had happened between her and Napier. Harold blames himself for that situation, which got Queenie fired. Many employees could hear Napier screaming at her, and rumor had it he would have beaten her if she’d been a man. In the present, Harold reaches Bath, feeling like a coward. He hears someone calling “Dad!” but sees no one.