Miss Bensons Beetle Joyceov Rachel (2021)

Set in 1950, this novel follows Margery Benson, who abandons her dead-end job in a moment of devastating clarity and advertises for an assistant to accompany her on an expedition. She plans to travel to the other side of the world in search of a beetle that may or may not exist. Enid Pretty, wearing an unlikely pink travel suit, is not the companion Margery had in mind, yet together they are drawn into an adventure that exceeds every expectation. They risk everything, break all the rules and, at the top of a red mountain, discover their best selves. The story is less about what can be found than about believing it might be found. It is an intoxicating adventure story, as well as an exploration of what it means to be a woman and a tender portrait of a friendship that defies all boundaries.