Book Review: Miss Benson's Beetle by Rachel Joyce

 Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this ebook from via Random House, via #Netgalley, free of charge, for review purposes on this blog. No compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it, all opinions are my own

From the bestselling author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry comes an uplifting, irresistible novel about two women on a life-changing adventure, where they must risk everything, break all the rules, and discover their best selves—together.

Synopsis:

She’s going too far to go it alone.

 

It is 1950. London is still reeling from World War II, and Margery Benson, a schoolteacher and spinster, is trying to get through life, surviving on scraps. One day, she reaches her breaking point, abandoning her job and small existence to set out on an expedition to the other side of the world in search of her childhood obsession: an insect that may or may not exist—the golden beetle of New Caledonia. When she advertises for an assistant to accompany her, the woman she ends up with is the last person she had in mind. Fun-loving Enid Pretty in her tight-fitting pink suit and pom-pom sandals seems to attract trouble wherever she goes. But together these two British women find themselves drawn into a cross-ocean adventure that exceeds all expectations and delivers something neither of them expected to find: the transformative power of friendship.

Review:

Having loved The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, and The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy, I knew this book would probably strike a chord with me, and I was right! Margery at first isn't the most sympathetic character, but as the reader gets to know more about her, then we start to understand not only why she acts the way she does, but to see how she feels she is out of options. To take on a trip to the other side of the world, with no experience is pretty daunting, and Margery's inexperience comes into play in more ways than one. But what she learns on the trip to New Caledonia is something she has missed, and never truly had-friendship. And when that friendship is tested in New Caledonia, Margery can either rise to the occassion and save it and her goal, or hunker down and fail. The story is about perseverance, faith in one's dreams, and the ability to survive what you didn't know you could! A charming read, perfect for reading by a fire this Fall season!

About the Author:

Rachel Joyce is the author of The Music Shop, the Sunday Times and international bestsellers The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, Perfect, and The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy, as well as the digital short story A Faraway Smell of Lemon and a story collection, A Snow Garden & Other Stories. Her books have been translated into thirty-six languages and two are in development for film. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Book Prize and longlisted for the Man Booker Prize. Joyce was named the Specsavers National Book Awards "New Writer of the Year" in December 2012 and shortlisted for the "UK Author of the Year" 2014. Joyce has also written more than thirty original afternoon plays and adaptations of the classics for BBC Radio 4, including all the Brontë novels. She moved to writing after a long career as an actor, performing leading roles for the RSC, the National Theatre, and Cheek by Jowl. She lives with her family in Gloucestershire.