Miss Benson's Beetle by Rachel Joyce

 

I've read Rachel Joyce's novels before, and I know I am always in for a quirky tale that hits me hard in the heart when I'm least expecting it. Her latest didn't disappoint, and I loved everything about it. 

It's 1950, and Margery Benson is in her late 40's, single, and teaching home economics in post World War 2 England. She has no family, and has settled into a pretty sad and lonely life. One particular day, a student draws a picture of Margery, and once Margery sees the drawing, she loses it. She snaps, walking out of the school, quitting her job, and going home. She decides to leave it all behind and pursue her one dream-a dream from childhood that she stuffed deep down and decided would never happen. Her dream? to travel to New Caledonia in pursuit of the legendary golden beetle. Does it exist? Who knows? But Margery is determined to find it. She advertises for a companion to help her in her quest, and lively, quirky Enid Pretty is her last hope to pull off her adventure. 

Enid isn't exactly what you'd want on a trip to New Caledonia-a place that's full of jungles, rain forests, mountains, and all sorts of danger. Even Margery isn't in the best shape to undergo an arduous trip, but her mind is set and she's not going to give up. As Enid and Margery travel by ship to their destination, they get to know each other and a friendship slowly forms in between a whole lot of rocky situations. Just who is Enid Pretty? What is she running from? 

Margery is delightful, and you can't help but admire her persistence in what looks like a completely foolish endeavor. Enid is a bit of a mystery, and she's so different than Margery you wonder how they could ever become friends, let alone go on an adventure that is both thrilling and dangerous. Yet Enid's story slowly unfolds, and you see how alike both women really are, and how both have dreams that neither is willing to let go. This is a travel tale, an adventure, a story of two women who become dear friends, and a tale of pursuing dreams. It's never too late! 

I so hope this becomes a limited series somewhere on TV. I would recommend this novel to book groups, and pretty much anyone else! I'll be passing my copy onto friends for sure. The author has some extras at the end of the book that you're sure to enjoy. Definitely one of my favorite novels of 2020. I've left a lot for you to discover as you read it--I can't give away all the good stuff! 

Rating: 5/6 for an unlikely adventure and friendship between two women who seem very different but are actually quite a lot alike. I'll confess I got a bit teary-eyed a few times and it left me thinking about Margery and Enid for quite some time. 

Available in paperback, audio, and e-book. 

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Miss Benson's Beetle by Rachel Joyce

The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare

Thanks to Penguin Random House for a review copy of this book. It's one of those books I probably would have missed completely otherwise, and I'm so glad I got to meet Adunni. She's an unforgettable character. 

Adunni is fourteen, and living in a small village in Nigeria. Her mother has died, leaving Adunni with her waste of a father and her two brothers. She had been going to school at the wish of her mother, and she loves it. She knows education is the way out. Unfortunately, her father doesn't feel the same way, and makes her leave school. He sells her to an older man in another village for the money to pay rent and for food. Adunni is crushed. She doesn't have a choice, so she ends up the third wife of this man who only cares about getting her pregnant and having a son. 

Adunni faces so many trials, and so many hard choices. She's constantly treated as a commodity and never as the bright young woman she really is. She's never heard. Adunni's dream is to continue her education, become a teacher, and help other young girls become successful and have more choices. But other people are in control of Adunni's life for most of the novel, as she flees her marriage and ends up in Lagos working as a house servant for a very wealthy woman. Adunni is treated horribly; only fed once a day, made to clean a mansion top to bottom every day, and beaten regularly for absolutely no reason. She's also under threat of rape by her Madam's leacherous husband, Big Daddy. The only hope Adunni has is in securing a scholarship for a school that will provide a free education, a place to live, food and clothing for her. That hope rests with a friendship Adunni forms with a young wife who recognizes the potential in Adunni and secretly works with her to write the essay that will secure the scholarship. 

The rhythm of Adunni's thoughts and speech took a little bit to get used to, but once I was in, it wasn't hard at all to move through the story. Adunni is such a strong young woman. She's so innocent, but keeps believing life will get better even when things look grim. By the end of Adunni's tale, I was so darn proud of her absolute belief in herself, and never giving up on her dream. All she wants is to walk in a room and "...people will hear me even before I open my mouth to be speaking." She wants her louding voice. 

A big thanks to Penguin Random House for the opportunity to discover the story of Adunni. Author Abi Dare has created a remarkable, strong, unforgettable character in her first novel. You won't soon forget Adunni--a  courageous young woman who keeps believing even in the darkest moments. 

Rating: 5/6 for a powerful novel about hope, courage, the rights of women, and the belief in pursuing a dream. 

Available in hard cover, ebook, and audio book. 

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The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare