Most of the novel is set in 1950. Margery Benson, a 46-year-old spinster schoolteacher, abandons her job in a dramatic way after a humiliating experience. On a whim, she decides to travel to New Caledonia to find the legendary golden beetle her father had told her about just before his sudden death. When left with no other option, Margery hires Enid Pretty as her assistant. Enid has none of the qualifications Margery wanted but in the course of their adventures, the two unlikely companions forge a strong friendship.

Some of the interest in the novel is that the two women are foil characters. Margery is plain, frumpish, introverted, and judgemental whereas Enid is attractive, flamboyant, extroverted, and undiscriminating. At the beginning, Margery hates Enid’s company; on the 5-week, transoceanic voyage, Margery feels “stuck in a very small space with the world’s most talkative woman.” It takes a while for Margery to realize that there is more to Enid than appearances suggest; she proves to have skills that the ill-prepared Margery needs and even if Enid is chatty, she has secrets.

Though the purpose of the journey is to find a (perhaps mythical) gold flower beetle, it is really a journey of self-discovery. Margery feels like a misfit in society: “She would always be on the outside.” Her life is dull and boring because “It was so easy to find yourself doing the things in life you weren’t passionate about, to stick with them even when you didn’t want them and they hurt.” Enid tells her, “’Just because you’ve never done something doesn’t mean you can’t start’” and Margery comes to realize that it’s not too late for a second chance: she had “the strangest sense that everything she wanted was ahead and available, so long as she was brave enough to claim it.” She finds unknown reserves of endurance and courage. She sees the wisdom of Enid’s comment that “’We are not the things that happened to us. We can be what we like.’”

In many ways, the novel is about female empowerment. Margery finds happiness when she realizes, “I’m not here because I am someone’s wife or sister. I am here because this is what I want, and now I have a place for my work.” In fact, Margery and Enid become objects of resentment for one woman because “they had found a way to be themselves.” And the novel ends with a final comment that “the real failure as a woman was not even to try.”

This is an adventure story; the women face many obstacles: some like passport photos and lost luggage are minor, but others like cyclones and illnesses are life-threatening. Some of the adventures are improbable and almost slapstick, requiring some suspension of disbelief.
On the other hand, serious topics are addressed: homosexuality, suicide, and sexual abuse. Certainly the lasting effects of war are highlighted. Margery is haunted by what happened to her family during World War I. Another character was a prisoner of war in Burma during World War II; suffering with PTSD, he thinks, “war was not over just because someone signed a truce. It was inside him. And when a thing like war was inside you, it never left.”

This book would make an entertaining movie. It has some wonderful touches of humour (Enid calling Margery “Marge as if she was a highly processed alternative to butter”) and farcical adventures (setting up a tent for the first time) but also a heart-warming message about friendship and second chances. Though not perfect, with some pacing issues in the middle, the book is a good read for pandemic times when we need “moments of joy. [Fortunately] even at its worst, life will offer such moments,” and this book provides some of these.

Note: I received a digital galley from the publisher via NetGalley.

In this crazy story, two women go on a quest in 1950 from Britain to New Caledonia, an island halfway around the world in search of a rare beetle. These two women are total opposites and extremely quirky. Their adventure is complicated but the best part is that they come to rely on each other and become dear friends. My favorite part of the book is the interview at the end!

I'm calling it a day on Miss Benson's Beetle. At 35% in, I'm finding that this one is a tad too depressing for me right now. I thought that this was going to be a feel-good adventure story filled with quirky characters, and while Miss Benson and Enid are indeed quirky, I find both of their stories rather sad. Rachel Joyce's writing was compelling and I was enjoying the way that the author unfurled her narrative, it kept me turning the pages even when I didn't want to. But, for the moment, that's not enough and I need to take a pause.

Margery Benson has a moment, steals a colleague's boots, and decides to set off to New Caledonia to find a gold beetle. It's 1950 in the UK, things are miserable, and Margery is a woman with very little in her life except beetles. She's an unusual heroine, as is Enid, the scrappy young woman she hires as her assistant. Enid has two secrets, which impact both of them but she's a good egg. Once in New Caledonia, they find themselves living in a hut and struggling to cope with typhoons, mud, lots of insects that aren't beetles, and Spam, endless Spam (the canned meat kind not the email stuff). Both characters are terrific, the atmospherics are wonderful, and no spoilers from me about what happens. Both of their back stories trickle out slowly as they grow together as both friends and people. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Great storytelling and a plot which had me rooting for them made this a terrific read.

Wow! The opening of this book is stunning!

Like a caged bird who is desperate to fly, Miss Benson’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce is the story of a woman who breaks free from the confines of her ordinary, small life, in order to follow her dreams. The road is bumpy, but when an unlikely friendship forms (Margery Benson’s first) with her trouble-making assistant Enid Pretty, hilarity and momentous growth ensue. On the journey of their lives, this unstoppable duo cross oceans and jungles, in search of a beetle, only to find something much more valuable; themselves.

I was blown away by this book. Adventure, mischief, danger, loss, exploration, charm, friendship, heartbreak, and uphill battles: This novel had it all.

Miss Benson’s Beetle moved me in so many ways. I loved the tests of friendship and examinations of self-worth that each character went through. I loved how all of the antagonistic challenges were presented in this book through characters struggling with self-doubt, mental illness, or preconceived prejudices. In short, I got everything out of this book that I wanted: I laughed, I cried, and I felt inspired.

Miss Benson’s Beetle is now saved on my Goodreads account as an “All Time Favorite” and I’ll be recommending it to all of my girlfriends this year.

Thank you, Random House - Dial Press, and NetGalley for my advance eGalley in exchange for an honest review. This was truly a wonderful book and I can't wait to purchase my own copy for my bookshelf on publication day.

My Rating: 5 Stars!

From the moment I met Miss Benson, til the last page of the book, I was rooting for her. Rachel Joyce brings to life not only memorable characters on a journey, but paints a lush portrait of New Caledonia and its inhabitants and wildlife.
A story of resilience, female friendship, and following your dreams...at any cost, and at any age, Miss Benson’s Beetle was a wild romp in the jungle and THEN some! Feminism and gumption, and learning the age old lesson of not judging a book by its cover, I was on the edge of my seat at some points and laughing at others.
Highly recommend for lovers of historical fiction, those who want to learn a little science, and fall in love with (and root for the underdogs.

Although Miss Benson't Beetle wasn't what I expected I enjoyed this story. Two women, complete opposites, set off on a journey to find the mysterious golden beetle, of which there is no certainty of its existence. Marge is serious and a rule follower. Enid seems frivolous and absent minded, but don't be fooled. Both of these women seek adventure, but for very different reasons. They learn a lot about themselves and each other along the way. Don't miss out on the adventure!

Miss Benson’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce follows the story of Margery Benson as she sets out to do what no one ever thought she would: find the Golden Beetle of New Caledonia. Encountering a new setback in every direction, she is accompanied by Enid Pretty, who, despite her bright personality, has a “pretty” big secret. So will they find the beetle, or was this all just too much for Margery to handle? (TW: suicide, miscarriage, death, stalking & PTSD.)

I was not initially loving this one and it took me a while to get into. However, I ended up really enjoying the overall story because of how it addresses (Western) womanhood — its assumptions and expectations vs its realities and desires, for the most part. This book is populated with different “types” of women and you really feel for most of them, even when they do something horrible. Even the men in this book are affected by this expected role of (British or Western) womanhood, and the story shows how men are done a disservice by expected gender roles, especially in the wake of a traumatic world war.

It’s not the best book I’ve ever read but it is totally different from what I expected and different from other things I’ve been reading lately. It’s a love story between self and others, as well as a story about women learning to love other women, forgiving their transgressions and the strength women have to move forward (maybe juxtaposed against men who are stuck in the past? I don’t know, that may be too analytical).

If you’re looking for something different that’s also a bit of a woman empowerment book, this might be for you! I think this is probably also a great book for book clubs, as there’s lots to discuss. Miss Benson’s Beetle out November 3rd (but it’ll still be there post-election)!

3.75 stars

Miss Benson's Beetle is an offbeat but compelling story about two women who head off into the jungle to "discover" a rare insect. But it's really about friendship, courage, and dreams.

Margery Benson has had a fairly grim life. All four of her brothers were killed on the same day in WWI, which caused her father to shoot himself. Margery had a scientific bent and was fascinated with beetles. She grows up and gets a job researching species at a museum. But there are pitfalls there too and she ends up in a hated domestic science teaching position at a girls school where both the students and teachers ridicule her.

There is an epiphany. Margery decides to fulfill her lifelong dream and head to an obscure island to collect and catalogue her rare beetle. She advertises for an assistant and meets a couple of interesting characters, including the unforgettable Enid Pretty. Enid is everything Margery isn't -- attractive, energetic, optimistic, bubbly, talkative, and stylish. Off they head to the jungle.

The story is a bit preposterous, but the characterizations and interactions are terrific. The story of the unfolding friendship and the characters' discovery of their capabilities is a page turner. It gets tied up a bit neatly at the end, but in a way that makes you smile, since by that time, the reader is rooting for their success. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Two unlikely characters joint to go on an epic adventure to find the golden beetle. Margery and Enid, the eccentric companions, go on a journey of discovery about the world around them and most importantly about themselves.

“The differences between them – all those things she’d once found so infuriating – she now accepted. Being Enid’s friend meant there were always going to be surprises”

This story fell flat for me and I could not connect with any of the characters. I wanted to like it but at 30% I got bored. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my review.

Title: Miss Benson's Beetle
Author: Rachel Joyce
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4.0 out of 5

It is 1950. In a devastating moment of clarity, Margery Benson abandons her dead-end job and advertises for an assistant to accompany her on an expedition. She is going to travel to the other side of the world to search for a beetle that may or may not exist.

Enid Pretty, in her unlikely pink travel suit, is not the companion Margery had in mind. And yet together they will be drawn into an adventure that will exceed every expectation. They will risk everything, break all the rules, and at the top of a red mountain, discover their best selves.

This is a story that is less about what can be found than the belief it might be found; it is an intoxicating adventure story but it is also about what it means to be a woman and a tender exploration of a friendship that defies all boundaries.

This was an interesting read, and not what I expected at all. Margery is clearly a woman who has never felt comfortable or at home in the world, so it was wonderful to see her grow and change through this novel, stepping into who she wanted to be and owning her identity.

Enid was quite entertaining. I enjoyed her growth as well, and she was a perfect foil for Margery and her straightlaced ways. A solid, entertaining read.

Rachel Joyce is a bestselling author. Rachel Joyce is a bestselling author. Miss Benson's Beetle is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of Random House in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 11/9.)

Books by Rachel Joyce make me laugh, cry and to re-examine previously held ideas! Shehas a tremendous talent for writing characters we can empathize with and love even when they have serious issues! Margery is such a character and so is Enid, Both of them suffer some awful experiences but together they discover inner resources they never knew they had.

i would say the one thing I struggled with was the addition of the third character, Mundic....I think we could have had the same experience with the book without him being a part of it. I know there was a end goal in sight but just think he was not necessary.

However - it doesn't stop me from giving this book five stars because the lessons of friendship will stay with me for a long time.

Thanks to Net Galley for the opportunity to read the book!

I loved this book, which is the first one I have read by this author, and am glad to see I own another.
This is an excellent story about two completely different women, Margery and Enid who have come together for different reasons.
Polar opposites in Looks, personalities and agendas, but as you read the story you will see the wonderful bond they create.
This is probably, one of the most unique stories I have ever read. It's funny, it's sad and sometimes unbelievable, but always a page turner.
These two characters leave England for New Caledonia, in search of a not yet found Golden beetle.
A must read in my opinion, but make sure you read past acknowledgments as there is wonderful insights about the story at the very end.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for a copy of this book.

This is a difficult novel to evaluate.

I was absolutely riveted by the beginning, in which we meet Margery, whose dad shows her a beetle just before receiving word that all four of his sons are dead (WW II) so he goes and shoots himself. We pick up with her years later, a few years shy of 50, large and lumpy, teaching at a girls' school where she is humiliated by the cruelty of the girls until she walks out.

She decides to find that beetle, and advertises for an assistant. Of course she ends up with the one applicant she didn't want, a young, very dyslexic woman who just wants a baby. The two travel by steamship to Australia, and so their adventures begin.

Rachel's Joyce's writing is intensely vivid, funny and tragic by turns. I loved the two women, and how this unlikely pair began to change as they adventured together.

If the story had been just that, I would have been thrilled. Unfortunately, there is a villain shoehorned in, an ex-POW who has terrible PTSD and resultant mental issues. This addition was really regrettable in so many ways, and animal abuse on top of it pretty much ruined the read for me.

But it might not for you. The author is super popular, her insights are great, the characters vivid. If these issues make you shrug, you might find this read more rewarding than I did.

I was just extremely disappointed in this story. It was all over the place and just a complete mess.

Marjery Benson is in a rut. She has lived through two world wars, lost all her loved ones and works an unfulfilling job as a home economics teacher. An event transpires that pushes Marjery out of her humdrum existence and the story just takes off from there. Marjery decides to revisit her girlhood dream of finding a previously undiscovered beetle. Her adventure takes her from war weary England to the sunny shores of New Caledonia in the South Pacific. Marjery hires Enid Pretty as an assistant. Enid has her own reasons for wanting to leave England and the two embark on a strange and wonderful journey that traverses the globe and the human heart. Marjery and Enid could not be more different in appearance or personality. The two get off to an awkward start and Marjery has serious plans to dismiss Enid. Fate has other plans for Marjery and Enid throwing in their path a POW suffering from PTSD, a cyclone and perhaps most terrifying of all, the wives of the British expatriates living on New Caledonia! Marjery and Enid discover more about themselves and their capacity to survive and love on the island. This story is a wonderful tale of two women growing into their true selves and realizing that life is too precious to not live it to the fullest. The author provides plenty of details about beetles and accurately portrays how women were not encouraged to do or be anything other than a pretty wife or mother. I particularly enjoyed the "interview" with the characters after the end. It was fun to hear their thoughts about the story and each other. I also found the author's notes about how she came to this story very interesting. It just proves that you never know where or when inspiration is going to strike!

"The real failure as a woman was not even to try."

I don't even know how to describe this book. It transported me to another place in another time with characters so vividly drawn, I felt like I knew them. And somehow along the way, Rachel Joyce even managed to get me interested in beetles.

This is the story of Margery Benson, an awkward, emotionally-remote spinster living in London in 1950 who reaches her breaking point one day and decides to head across the world to New Caledonia in search of a golden beetle she's been obsessed with since childhood. She places an ad for an assistant and ends up with Enid Pretty, a glamorous chatter box who knows nothing about bugs and everything about getting into trouble. These total opposites embark on the adventure of a lifetime, searching for the elusive golden beetle but finding something even more valuable - a true friend.

Enid Pretty may be my favorite character in any book I've read all year. She's sassy, resourceful and smarter than anyone gives her credit for and the banter between her and Margery is brilliant. Joyce's beautifully descriptive writing puts you everywhere from the tiny cabin of the RMS Orion to the lush mountains of New Caledonia and makes the secondary characters, like a busybody consul's wife and the disturbed POW who becomes obsessed with Margery and her quest, come to life. There are some great plot twists and even more wonderful turns of phrase - I plan to add "It was as much use as a chocolate teapot" to my conversations whenever I can!

Miss Benson's Beetle comes out November 3rd and is the perfect read for this time of year - you'll want to curl up with it, a blanket and a warm drink and stay put until you're done.

Thanks to NetGalley, The Dial Press and the author for an advanced copy to review.

Of course, this is a heartwarming book, all of Rachel Joyce’s books are heartwarming. This goes beyond heartwarming. It expands on the belief that you are capable of much more than you think. Margery Benson, oh how I disliked her at the beginning of the book. She’s a spinster, stuck in a teaching job she hates after World War II. She’s set in her ways. She’s a large woman living in a world that admires pretty petite women. If I were to use a color to describe her, I’d use “brown.” After stealing the headmaster’s pair of lacrosse books, she flees. She has always been interested in entomology and has dreamed of finding the golden beetle of New Caledonia. Her assistant on the journey to New Caledonia is a dizzy cute, bleached blonde who cannot shut up. The two opposites make quite a duo as they head to the jungles of the South Pacific Island. Both are stronger and more resilient than either would suspect, and each learns to appreciate the other’s skills and each other’s courage.

Joyce is an British playwright, screenwriter and author. Her previous books include "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry", "The Music Shop" and "Perfect". This new release is set in 1950 and is the story of middle-aged Margery Benson, who after a humiliating day as a teacher, decides it is time to take charge of her life and have an adventure. She has always loved beetles and had fond memories of her dad talking about a golden beetle that had been sighted in New Caledonia but never caught and decides she is off to parts unknown to find this beetle. She figures she will need an assistant and ends up with Enid Pretty, a young talkative woman. Together they set off on a long journey that will require them to find new strengths. This is a story about adventure, friendship, PTSD and woman's empowerment that has both humorous and sad moments. While the characters are younger in this one, it reminded me of "How the Penguins Saved Veronica". It is a great recommendation for someone looking for something lighter, but with heart and depth.