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Miss Benson's Beetle: An uplifting story of female friendship against the odds
Rachel Joyce
WINNER OF THE WILBUR SMITH ADVENTURE WRITING PRIZE | BEST PUBLISHED NOVEL
WOMAN & HOME BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR and A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
'The perfect escape novel for our troubled times.' PATRICK GALE
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.
'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 WINN
WOMAN & 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 2020
Rachel Joyce's latest novel, The Homemade God is published in April 2025
Product Details
About Rachel Joyce
Reviews for Miss Benson's Beetle: An uplifting story of female friendship against the odds
Eithne Farry
Sunday Express
A girl's own adventure...This is Rachel Joyce's best book yet ...Exciting, moving and full of unexpected turns... surely this is the one that will propel the intrepid Joyce off the long and shortlists into prizewinning territory.
Melissa Katsoulis
The Times
A joy of a novel, with real insight into the lives of women, the value of friendship and the lasting effects of war
Katy Guest
Guardian
Joyce's characters are so charmingly eccentric that they could have leapt straight from the pages of a Dickens novel. Enid is a comedic masterpiece, effervescent and brimming with life. This exhilarating story will scoop you up and carry you along to a dizzying crescendo. But it is also a story of an unlikely friendship and of women who refuse to be defined by the labels cast upon them in drab 1950s Britain. Funny, wise, and utterly life-affirming
Daily Express
A life-affirming, joyously escapist picaresque tale
Sunday Times
This glorious novel is as much about second chances, heartfelt friendships and emotional courage as it is about trekking through dangerous terrain.
Sunday Express
A glorious novel about second chances, heartfelt friendships and emotional courage.
Daily Mirror
BEST BOOKS FOR SUMMER 2020: uplifting
Stylist
Rachel Joyce created an unforgettable character with Harold Fry and she's done it again with Margery Benson ... Hilarious
Good Housekeeping
A sparkling new take on the concept of changing your life on a whim ... a standout, special read.
The Lady