Miss Benson's Beetle

Books | Fiction / Literary

4.3

(287)

Rachel Joyce

WINNER OF THE WILBUR SMITH ADVENTURE WRITING PRIZE | BEST PUBLISHED NOVELWOMAN & HOME BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR and A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER'The perfect escape novel for our troubled times.' PATRICK GALEIt 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.'A girl's own adventure...This is Rachel Joyce's best book yet ...Exciting, moving and full of unexpected turns.' THE TIMES'Brilliant and elegant and wise...powerful and moving...I can't recommend it enough.' JOANNA CANNON'A beautiful portrayal of female friendship in all its frailties, contradictions and strengths.' RAYNOR WINNWOMAN & HOME BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2020; DAILY MAIL BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2020; BOOKMARK BOOK OF THE YEAR 2020; GOOD HOUSEKEEPING BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2020Rachel Joyce's latest novel, The Homemade God is published in April 2025

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More Details:

Author

Rachel Joyce

Pages

416

Publisher

Transworld

Published Date

2020-07-23

ISBN

1448170060 9781448170067

Community ReviewsSee all

"Slow start for me, a bit zany. And in the end, a touching story of an unlikely friendship. I liked her “Harold Fry” book better, but this is also good and worth sticking it out for a good, but bittersweet finish. "

J D

Jackie Davidson

"3 stars is being a little generous, but I can't honestly say that I hated this book. It was just extremely boring. The characters grew on me, but the story, unfortunately, did not. It just couldn't keep my attention."

July

"A great book about an unlikely friendship with great character development, a little romance, a little scientific education and a great ending. Thank you Once Upon a Book Club (book box) for including this book in your monthly book box-a book I wouldn’t ordinarily choose, but loved nonetheless. "

M J

Marie J Ervin

"One of my favorite books of all times. I fell in love with these characters and the story was so interesting. "

K F

Kate Foster

"Tear-jerking, heart-warming, funny, adventuresome, and poignant!"

M R

Mary Rankin

"I loved this book. There is one chunk that I hated, but not for any reason other than I wanted a different outcome. This is a beautiful, strong story of love. "

J D

"It was... okay? If there were a neutral option I’d pick that. Some heartwarming moments, some nice adventure and character development. Some plot points and additional characters didn’t sit quite right in the story or for me personally!"

C S

Casey Slager

"A lovely, quirky romp of an adventure exploring female friendship and independence. Highly readable."

T P

Teresa Prokopanko

"I wasn’t sure I’d like it at first. I gave it a chance and was pleasantly surprised. Great story that kept me wanting to know more. Highly recommend!"

M S

Mary Beth F Salwierz

"I really liked this book. I loved that there was very little romance and that it was mostly a tale of friendship love. "

T T

Taylor Timbrook

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