Rachel Joyce weaves an emotionally moving, magical, offbeat historical adventure novel set in the 1950s, a post-war drab and colourless Britain of shortages and rationing, of two widely different women that appear to have little that could possibly connect them, embarking on a entomological trip in search of the mythic rumoured golden beetle in the Grande Terre, and the New Caledonia archipelago. The large 47 year old Marjery Benson is an unmarried woman working as a teacher, her shoes falling apart, a constant target of her class, until one humiliation too many has her walking out, taking with her the stolen boots of the deputy head. When she was 10 years old in 1914, her beloved father sparked a life long passion, an obsession for etymology, beetles in particular, more accurately the elusive golden beetle. However, that day is a bitter, tragic and despairing memory as news of the loss of Archibald, Hugh, Howard and Matthew, all her brothers, proves to be too much for her father as he commits suicide. 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. Rachel Joyce: Yes! I do struggle with confidence - or rather, I question and doubt a lot of my writing. But I feel this is part of the creative process. You have to keep challenging yourself as a writer to go deeper. You have to open doors you might prefer to leave closed. And doubt is a part of the energy that drives you there.

Rachel Joyce: I am definitely more of an introvert, though I believe we are all a bit of a blend. I am grateful for the attention I have had; or rather, the readers that I have found. And the good thing about being a writer is that no one ever recognises you. I loved this book and it’s quirky characters. Margary is in her late 40s and has never married although she had a decade long crush on a professor at the Natural History Museum. She never dresses up or goes out. She’s a teacher at the local school, until one day when the students make her the target of a joke. She’s upset, humiliated and on the spur of that very intense moment, steals the PE teacher’s soccer boots. That job is toast! Since Margary’s world is now spinning on the lam, she decides to go to New Caledonia in search of the gold beetle that her father told her about when she was a child. Her father’s introduction to the gold beetle has inspired a lifetime’s interest in beetles; now, Margary is somewhat of an expert and knows all the proper equipment needed for her investigatory search.The year is 1950, and although World War II is over, London and many other major cities are still rationing goods and materials and rebuilding their shattered communities. Husbands, sons and brothers have died, and the women of the world are starting to come into their own, having taken up major roles in both war efforts and homes. One of these ladies is Margery Benson, a schoolteacher and devout spinster who was raised by her mother and religious aunts after her father died by suicide upon receiving the news that his sons had been killed at war. Now in her late 40s, Miss Benson is still ambling by, living in her deceased aunt’s cold, austere flat, surviving on scraps and teaching home economics to young women.

Content Consideration: the early part of the story does involve a suicide by gunshot; there is also a stalker and one violent scene at the end of the story; PTSD. This saucy story also offers a questionable character, a scandal, a natural disaster, and above all an uplifting friendship, written with so much humanity and humor. It made me laugh out loud many times. I absolutely loved this book from its early scenes of Marjorie failing to control her classroom to its very satisfying conclusion years later. I would like to see this as a TV series but it would probably be too expensive to produce. Recommended: If you love quirky and unique stories with beautiful writing and zany adventures, you might want to put this on your TBR (it does have some sad and tragic parts, too). If you are a fan of Rachel Joyce, Miss Benson’s Beetle is not to be missed! This story also lends itself to a great book club discussion!

Retailers:

Themes: Equally parts entertaining and tragic, thoughtful themes abound in this story and include childhood trauma, friendship, trust, loyalty, second chances, risk and adventure, resilience, grief, and found family.

We could feel the heat, the exhaustion, the defeat, the struggles, the hunger [Spam with curry powder wasn’t doing it]…. 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.Rachel Joyce: It took me years. But they go in different stages. There is a stage where I am not writing the book, but I am thinking about it and making notes, and trying out little snatches - often while I am supposed to be writing something else. I first thought about the idea of hunting for a beetle about twelve years ago. Then comes a stage where I fully commit. Where I would say that I eat, drink and sleep it. That can last a year or two. It's like being in a storm. Q: How do you write from the perspective of difficult and broken characters such as Mr.Mundic and how do you imagine their struggle? The story really starts in 1914 when her father is showing her a book called “Incredible Creatures”. There were so many curiosities in this book, Margery could not get enough of it. But the creature that she is most captivated with is the golden beetle of New Caledonia. The reader doesn’t really know if all of these creatures really exist, but in Margery’s mind she had already decided that someday she would see this golden beetle. In the present moment of the novel, Margery is a lonely spinster. She teaches at an elementary school but hates her job. One day, the kids pass around a note making fun of her. Margery quits and steals the school deputy’s pair of boots. She is determined to pursue her lifelong dream of finding the golden beetle. Once they finally reach New Caledonia, more adventure, hazards, and hurdles await them. The ‘bungalow’ they rent is barely held together and infested with everything the New Caledonia rain forest has to offer… The heat is unimaginable.