#BlogTour: Miss Benson’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce @DoubledayUK @alisonbarrow @annecater #MissBenson #RachelJoyce #RandomThingsTours

Book Synopsis:

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.

Miss Benson’s Beetle is available in hardback and ebook on the 23rd July 2020. You can pre-order your copy using the link below.

My Review:

Miss Benson’s Beetle is a quirky, emotional story of friendship which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Rachel Joyce has a fabulous way if creating relatable characters that are easy to fall in love with and this book was no exception. I loved Marjery and felt a lot of sympathy for her and the incident whilst teaching as I too suffered a few humiliating incidents whilst teacher training. I really wished I could give her a hug at times and quickly got behind her as I wanted her to so well. The contrast between her and Enid was brilliant and I so enjoyed watching their friendship blossom.

The book takes us on a rollercoaster adventure of joy and sadness as we follow the girls on their journey. They definitely have a few challenges along the way but it made me smile to see how well they coped with everything. It was great to see the two girls change throughout the book and the interactions between was quite funny to witness at times. I felt quite sad to finish the book and leave them behind.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Double day for my copy of this book via Netgalley.

About The Author:

Rachel Joyce is the author of the Sunday Times and international bestsellers The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, Perfect, The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy, The Music Shop and a collection of interlinked short stories, A Snow Garden & Other Stories. Her new novel, Miss Benson’s Beetle, is published by Doubleday on 23 July 2020

Rachel’s books have been translated into thirty-six languages and two are in development for film. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Book prize and longlisted for the Man Booker Prize. Rachel was awarded the Specsavers National Book Awards ‘New Writer of the Year’ in December 2012 and shortlisted for the ‘UK Author of the Year’ 2014.

Rachel has also written over twenty original afternoon plays and adaptations of the classics for BBC Radio 4, including all the Bronte novels. She moved to writing after a long career as an actor, performing leading roles for the RSC, the National Theatre and Cheek by Jowl.

She lives with her family in Gloucestershire.