Miss Benson’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce (NCN Book Club Selection June 2026)
Spinster Margery Benson is barely getting by on her salary as a school teacher in post-war London. One day, in an uncharacteristically dramatic gesture, Margery quits her job. An amateur entomologist, she decides to travel to New Caledonia in search of her childhood obsession, the Golden Beetle.
She advertises for an assistant to accompany her, and from a small and unqualified group of applicants, she unhappily ends up with the most unqualified of all, Enid Pretty, a tiny, bottle blonde in unsuitable clothes.
With limited funds and a shockingly rudimentary knowledge of ocean travel and geography, the chalk and cheese pair embark on their journey. The troubles begin even before they board the ship, and almost comically the number and intensity of their travails increase as the journey progresses. Fortunately for Margery, despite the unsuitable clothing, Enid is surprisingly resourceful.
For different reasons both women are anxious to put London behind them. Enid is clearly running from a serious situation back home, although it takes Margery some time to figure it out.
After sickness, storms, secrets, and Spam, this unlikely couple become friends.
Poignant and frequently funny, I enjoyed this book, but over time the parade of crises and the characters’ ineptness was frustrating. However, other Book Club members liked the book without reservation. We had a good discussion on friendship, persistence, and adventure.
WHO WROTE IT
Rachel Joyce is the British author of several international bestsellers including The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry which was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize. She wrote the screenplay for the film version of the novel as well. For BBC Radio, she has written over twenty original plays and adaptations of the classics. She lives with her family in Gloucestershire.