Miss Benson's Beetle

A Novel

By: Rachel Joyce

Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • “A beautifully written, extraordinary quest in which two ordinary, overlooked women embark on an unlikely scientific expedition to the South Seas.”—Helen Simonson, author of Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand

From the bestselling author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry comes an uplifting, irresistible novel about two women on a life-changing adventure, where they must risk everything, break all the rules, and discover their best selves—together.

She’s going too far to go it alone.

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.

Praise for Miss Benson’s Beetle

“A hilarious jaunt into the wilderness of women’s friendship and the triumph of outrageous dreams.”—Kirkus Reviews

Was lost in this story for a few days

I loved everything about this book. First of all the narration was one of the best I’ve ever heard- and I listen to a lot of books. It was so engaging that I completely disengaged from life for a few days because I simply couldn’t stop listening. I adored the characters’ development, their personalities, and the story. I’ll be thinking about this book for a while and would definitely recommend it to anyone.

Absolutely spectacular in every possible way-- substance, narrator

Such a wonderfully full-bodied novel with heart, soul, humour, tension & perfectly timed but wholly unexpected plot twists for even the thriller genre listeners to enjoy.
Narration fabulous ....

Such a great story

Loved the story and the narrator. So many surprises. I chuckled and I cried. Worth the read!

Better than 5 stars

Fell in love with both the women in this story. I laughed and I cried. So sad when the book ended. What a beautiful friendship they shared.

Delightful and unexpected

I loved the characters and how they were developed-
The story is one of self discovery and also scientific exploration
I highly recommend