Miss Benson's Beetle
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Book Overview
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - "A beautifully written, extraordinary quest in which two ordinary, overlooked women embark on an unlikely scientific expedition to the South Seas."--Helen Simonson, author of Major Pettigrew's Last Stand WINNER OF THE WILBUR SMITH ADVENTURE WRITING PRIZE - 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. 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. Praise for Miss Benson's Beetle "A hilarious jaunt into the wilderness of women's friendship and the triumph of outrageous dreams."--Kirkus Reviews
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:0812996704
ISBN13:9780812996708
Release Date:November 2020
Publisher:Dial Press
Length:368 Pages
Weight:0.63 lbs.
Dimensions:0.8" x 5.3" x 8.1"
Customer Reviews
2 ratings
Loved this so much I bought it twice
Published by Hoots , 4 months ago
Great characters and writing, and I liked this so much that I then read everything else Rachel Joyce wrote. (But this is still my favorite.) Gave my first copy to someone who needed a pick-me-up and then bought a second copy for myself because it's worth having in my permanent library.
The book is about being an independent woman at a time when the culture didn't encourage that, but it's also about friendship. Miss Benson has a bit of a breakdown and ends up in an exotic locale on a sort of treasure hunt for a special beetle. It sounds a bit daft, but the characters are interesting and well written, and I also enjoyed the time period it was set in (and I'm fascinated by Flying Boats now, which I had never heard of going into this).
Fun, interesting and great character development
Published by BLH , 4 years ago
I absolutely loved this book. The characters are unique and the story line keeps you constantly interested and waiting for what happens next. It is a fabulous adventure that you almost wish you could go on with the characters as they are absolutely on a wonderful journey to true friendship. Do not miss this book, it is a gem. I was sorry to finish it and may well read it again in the future.
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