Margaery was never what is known as a "men's favorite". On the other hand, she wasn't particularly fond of women either. At the age of 47, her every morning looks exactly like the last: she will study for a few hours at school and in the evening she will return to a gray and empty house. But one day, following an incident that may seem minor, Margery reaches a breaking point. She can't anymore, and so she unexpectedly leaves school, while putting on a pair of shoes that is not hers, turns her back on the tiny existence of her life and sets out to fulfill an ancient childhood dream: to travel to the other side of the world, to New Caledonia, in order to search there for a golden beetle that might exist And maybe not. The year is 1950. No woman travels alone from Britain to New Caledonia, certainly not on a scientific mission of her own, and Margery realizes she needs a companion. She publishes an ad, interviews candidates and in the end finds herself with the last woman on earth who would be suitable for such a journey: the young Enid Pritty, with her pink suits, fluttering blonde hair and terrible spelling mistakes. Together, the two will find themselves on an adventure that crosses seas and continents, one that surpasses all imagination and nerves, which will bring something to their lives that neither of them expected: true friendship. Miss Benson's The Golden Beetle is a charming and exciting book about the great change that awaits us all, if we only know how to start when it seems that all possibilities have been exhausted. Rachel Joyce's book became a bestseller immediately after its publication, received rave reviews and was sold for translation in many countries.
