Such a quirky, off-beat adventure with two well developed female characters. The story seems a bit out there of these two at odds characters, former school-teacher now on the lam for swiping boots, Margaret and her supremely disorganized but lucky companion, Enid embark on an adventure to find rare beetle in the 1950's to the remote island of New Caledonia. Enjoyable read, but would have preferred a bit quicker of pace.

Thanks to NetGalley, Rachel Joyce and Dial Press for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rachel Joyce always creates compelling and vivid characters and this book was no exception! This book was funny and moving and absolutely wonderful! I will read anything by Rachel Joyce and look forward to all her future works.

This book is a delight to read I loved it and couldn't put it down. The characters grab you and don't let go until the end.

No, this isn’t about a Volkswagen. Miss Margery Benson, a single schoolteacher, gives up everything to travel to New Caledonia in order to search for the golden beetle, something she has been obsessed with since she was a child.
She looks for an assistant to go with her, but Enid isn’t exactly what she had in mind. However, beggars can’t be choosers, and no one else has worked out, so the two board a ship for the long journey from England to the island.
Enid enjoys a good time and seems to get in trouble at every turn. Eventually they arrive at their destination, and it doesn’t take long for Margery to discover that her preparations don’t measure up.
As Margery and Enid search for the beetle, they learn a lot about each other and themselves, leading to an unexpected friendship.

"Miss Benson's Beetle" is a story of friendship and empowerment that I really needed. The main characters are complex, fascinating women who develop a deep and supportive friendship, while also meandering though a wild adventure. There were a lot of times where I found myself reminded of "Wild" or "A Walk in the Woods" only because this is absolutely a story about a duo who has pretty much no idea what they're doing, and arrive vastly underprepared, but take it one step at a time anyways. The story of Marge Benson's departure from her otherwise mundane spinster-life, accompanied across with world by the colorful Enid Pretty is heartwarming and engaging. In search of an elusive golden beetle in New Caledonia, the two (often unknowingly) evade law enforcement and sinister wives time and again, forming a relationship strong enough to weather several storms.

It's worth noting that there are some traumatic themes that deserve trigger warnings, including PTSD (WWII military), suicide, and miscarriage.

The description of Miss Benson's Beetle sounds like one of many that have been written about a character of a certain age who makes a decision to dramatically change his or her life. The book has a dark beginning and an even darker ending which is entirely unexpected for my vision for this genre. Unfortunately, I cannot find my way to the point or message of this story. I am clearly not the right reader for this book even though I have enjoyed other books by Rachel Joyce.

Read my entire review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2021/02/miss-bensons-beetle.html

Reviewed for NetGalley.

46-year-old Margery Benson has reached her breaking point. She abruptly (and hilariously) leaves her unsatisfying teaching job to return to New Caledonia, the place of her short, but happy childhood to search for the “golden beetle” her father told her about. After advertising for a French seeking assistant, she pairs up with Enid Pretty, her opposite in every way. The two women embark on an adventure of a lifetime with hilarious and heart-warming results. A triumphant story of the true meaning of friendship and the pursuit of dreams.

A great book for women's fiction lovers and book clubs.

Not sure I liked this book, but the further I read the more I appreciated it. The 2 women are total opposites, but create a unique partnership in search of the golden beetle. Starts in the mid 20th century so travel from London to Australia is via ship. The voyage leads to many unique adventures, along with the stowaway WWII veteran. The women arrive in New Caledonia with little preparation for what awaits them. Their partnership becomes much more than a giddy adventure. Their travails strengthen their bonds. Their histories become much different futures.

Although I found it a little slow in the beginning, and in some middle parts, but once I got into the story, I couldn't put the book down, and didn't want it to end. I enjoyed all the characters and their development throughout the book. I absolutely recommend this piece of beautiful writing!

Thank you Netgalley for this e-arc.

I did not enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. I did not connect with the characters right away, but as the book went on I did start to enjoy it. I loved the character development and the way that there was a fun adventure tied into the story.

This is a wonderful read: such unique characters, for the most part it is humorous (despite dealing with some heavier issues), contains much adventure and heart, and fantastic writing (no surprise there since I love Joyce’s other works, like the Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry!). I was slightly unsatisfied with the ending------SPOILER ALERT-------after all those trials and tribulations Enid Pretty dies? I love that the story came full circle, but I felt manipulated by that event. It did not feel organic (like perhaps the tragic death was used to shock the reader for the sake of needing a twist/shocking the reader at the end-- or as a way to make sure the story COULD come full circle). Nevertheless, four stars (I'd give it 4.5 if that was an option on Netgalley rating system)! And I will never forget Enid Pretty's voice in my head saying, "beg pardon" when anyone asked her something she didn't want to answer.

Miss Benson's Beetle is a story that was a slow burn for me. I was surprised how much I enjoyed the story. I am always a sucker for stories about unlikely friends and or quirky characters and this fit the bill.

Rachel Joyce has written a story that slowly reveals details about the two main characters, Marge and Enid. These two women would never have become friends if it wasn't for Marge's expedition to New Caledonia to find the golden beetle but their friendship grew to be deep and unending.

Both women reveal heartbreaking details about their past. Marge admits that the professor that she loved and worked with for ten years was married to another women and she never found love after that heartbreak. Enid sadly reveals she had has ten miscarriages and her deep seated desire to have a child. "The truth cannot be understood at once. It can only be understood in pieces. Bit by bit."

Enid's blunt character made me chuckle quite a few times while I was listening to this story. I often caught myself smiling while listening to this story. I will admit in the beginning, I wasn't sure if I could handle Enid's "voice". It is almost cartoonish but I grew to enjoy it and it fit her personality.

Joyce did a great job in her description of the ladies during Enid's labor and delivery. I could absolutely envision the scene. And throughout the story, I found myself saying "no, no, no" to the author at several points throughout.

Marge grew in to who she was always meant to be. I highly recommend this book/audiobook if you are looking for a great story.


Note: Sorry for the delay in my review. I got covid and got behind in my reviews.

This is my first Rachel Joyce book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The writing in some places was incandescent. I waited too long to review the book after I finished it, so I can't offer any good examples, but trust me! In the beginning, I found both of the main characters, Margery Benson and Enid Pretty, annoying. However, I think that they had to have their idiosyncrasies so that we could see growth, change and finally, love over the course of the novel. I love a little adventure/mystery thrown in too! I definitely recommend this novel.

"Miss Benson's Beetle" has much to recommend it: Adventure, strong female characters, well-researched history and an interesting bit of geography and science stirred in for good measure. Rachel Joyce, author of "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry," which I very much enjoyed, again sends her hero on a pilgrimage. Miss Benson is a 40-something, emotionally stunted home economics teacher in London just surviving from day to day in the aftermath of World War II. Her life changes in an instant when she decides to go search for a golden beetle on a remote island. The journey of self-discovery that follows is somewhat predictable, but the people she meets along the way are not. You'll soon find yourself rooting for Miss Benson and her unlikely assistant.

An action packed adventure tale of non-typical action heroines. I loved every page! I related with the spinster teacher stuck in a hated rut and cheered for her wild break with expectations. The many plot twists kept me anticipating the next development.

Another lovely book from Ms. Joyce. Thank you to Net Galley for an advanced read copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

This is my third book by Ms. Joyce that I have read and another one that I have thoroughly enjoyed. She has a distinct style to her writing that is adventurous but written in a beautiful prose.

This is the story of a middle age woman who finds her true calling and finds how to really live life and not just exist. She finds a way to chase her dreams and find friendship and love along the way.

I've loved all Rachel Joyce's books that I've read, and this is no exception. The story is set in 1950, with two main characters. The titular Miss Benson, Margery, is in her late 40s, single, and teaching domestic science at a girl's school. This is not how she envisioned her life. She hasn't been happy for years, and for her the last straw happens when she finds her students passing around a caricature of her and laughing. She breaks, first leaving the classroom and then taking random items as she leaves the school, never to return. As she thinks back on her life, she reflects on a book her father showed her when she was a child with a picture of a rumoured beetle in a far away land. That picture led to a lifelong fascination with beetles, and she is now drawn back to that moment of captivation and happiness and decides to go look for that beetle.
There is much preparation to be done before going on such an expedition, and Miss Benson orders supplies, sells some of her belongings and advertises for a paid assistant. The first applicant she interviews is a war vet who had been a Japanese POW. He is twitchy and a mansplaining type, and Miss Benson knows that he is not what she wants. One woman looks promising, but her rigid organization gets her ferreting out Miss Benson's secret and bailing out with little time to substitute, so she ends up reaching out to her final applicant, Enid Pretty. Enid is a force to be reckoned with, able to make almost any situation turn in her favour, and yet completely unsuitable for what Miss Benson was looking for.
Given their times, the journey to their destination, the northern reaches of New Caledonia, is long and sometimes with delays. As they travel by ship, flying boat, motor vehicle, and their own feet, they get to know one another extremely well, and gradually open up to each other about their pasts and what led them to their present.
Miss Benson is a lonely woman, with an unhappy childhood, a disappointing coming-of -age experience, and a a lost dream. She is a rule follower, a person who does what is expected of her, until she realizes that she must stand up for herself and her dreams.
Enid Pretty is a charmer, a woman who has compromised for a comfortable life, and who has seen that fall apart. She, too, has a dream that she hasn't been able to bring to fruition, although she has faced most obstacles with a determination that overcomes them.
I liked seeing this friendship develop and each woman come into her own and the encouragement and support they had for each other. I read this book quickly, almost unable to put it down as I needed to know what happened to theses two extraordinary women.
The book ends with an interesting interview, an explanation of the inspiration for the book, and some discussion questions. Great choice for a book club.

When teacher Margery Benson intercepts a particularly cruel drawing of herself circulating among her students, something inside her snaps. The Miss Benson of Miss Benson's Beetle suddenly decides to give up her unrewarding career in education in order to fulfil a lifelong dream: traveling to New Caledonia to discover proof of the golden beetle that has so far evaded capture. As a 40-something spinster in post-WWII London, she knows she will need an assistant to help her on the expedition to the other side of the world. She advertises the position and is somewhat dismayed to only receive three applicants: a someone peculiar former POW named Mundic, a flighty young woman named Miss Pretty, and (luckily) a perfectly competent woman named Miss Hamilton who is herself a retired teacher. Just as everything is being arranged for the trip, Miss Hamilton drops out and Margery is forced to go with her second (and really only) choice, Enid Pretty.
Enid seems entirely unsuited to trekking in mountainous terrain in search of the elusive beetle. She has died blonde hair, high heels, a tiger-print bikini, and does not stop talking except for brief periods when she is asleep. Additionally, she brought along a great deal of luggage, including a red case that she never lets out of her sight.

On the ship during the first part of their voyage, it soon becomes apparent that the person who didn't get the assistant job is not going to take being passed over lightly. Mundic stows away on the ship and keeps track of Margery's movements in a notebook. At times he becomes confused as to where he is and if he's still being held prisoner, but for the most part his stalking of Margery remains his focus.

Once they make it to New Caledonia, Margery discovers that the majority of her beetle collecting and observation equipment has failed to arrive. With limited supplies, she and Enid must rely on unorthodox methods to try to find the beetle before their allotted two months of searching is up. Through rough terrain, dangerous weather and assorted disasters, Margery and Enid form an unlikely bond where secrets are revealed and a deep friendship takes hold.

I really enjoyed the story of Margery's unlikely search for the beetle that she'd only heard vague references to throughout her life. The unusual cast of characters constantly threw up surprises and showed an unusual amount of resilience. A mystery involving Enid also makes the story quite thrilling as we root for her while also fearing what she has in her red case!

I cannot enthuse enough about this innocent, gem of a book by Rachel Joyce. The story isn’t focused on romance, trauma, and angst (although all the leads have experienced dark personal tragedies, told in flashbacks) but rather on the enduring bond of friendship and love forged by two diametrically opposite women. The named protagonist, spinster Margery Benson, is a washed up science teacher who dreams of being a world-faring entomologist, in search of an elusive golden beetle first described to her by her late father. At age 46, she plucks up the gumption to abandon a dreary, gray life of rations and rules in 1950’s London to board a ship to Australia and eventually, New Caledonia to find the never before (officially) discovered beetle. She requires an assistant and interviews both Mundic, a POW who figures prominently later in the story, and Enid Pretty, a flighty woman with a capricious-sounding name who sends back dyslexic correspondence. Though neither are suitable for the job of “assistant” to the would-be explorer, she finds herself bringing Miss Pretty along for the ride, which winds up being their journey of a lifetime.

There is an extended period at sea - and some anecdotes are reminiscent of the golden days of cruising - then the women’s twisting, varied path to the island of New Caledonia, then finally...peace as they settle into their expedition to find the Golden Beetle.

To avoid mentioning any plot points, I will leave the summary as is and focus on the humor and beauty of Joyce’s writing. Although The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry (wildly popular in 2014) has been on my TBR for 6 years, I have never experienced Joyce’s writing firsthand and what a delight it was! There were no stereotypical tropes to deal with, and the absence of romance was refreshing. ,
I enjoyed the buildup of the women’s unlikely friendship that later calcifies into a lifelong bond. And although this wasn’t a traditional “page-turner” there was plenty of action and plot developments, plus the looming threat of the women being chased both by the police and by their past, to keep the story moving briskly along.

I thought the book was utterly charming, and the indefatigable quality of the narrators lent the book a sense of innocence that I find much modern fiction lacking these days. This is a book that transports you into both another world and the strongest of friendships. Definitely a tome for a pandemic-rife era.

What a wonderful story of an unexpected, unconditional female friendship, and self-discovery. I had no idea what to expect from this book, but what I got was a longing for a friendship such as these two women had. It also had me looking at myself and what I truly want out of life. I felt a lot of feelings and did a lot of soul searching while reading Miss Benson's Beetle, and for me, that equates to a 5 star read.

Margery and Enid are both such well-developed characters, both with their own amusing eccentricities. I’m always a fan of The Odd Couple type friendships, and that’s exactly what this is. The impact they made on each other's lives were invaluable, but I especially enjoyed watching Margery become a totally different person by the end of the story.

I felt this story is a perfect blend of character and plot driven with good medium pacing. Rachel Joyce not only had me falling for Margery and Enid, but also for the setting of New Caledonia. She wrote so vividly of the area that I felt as if I had visited the area myself.

I think this is a great choice for anyone who enjoys adventure/explorer stories, unlikely/odd couple friendships, and well-developed characters.


CW: Suicide, miscarriage, POW torture, racial slurs, domestic violence, body shaming,

Thank you NetGalley and Dial Press for the review copy