Miss Benson’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce is filled with absurdity, trauma, obsession, friendship, crime, growth, self-acceptance. Our first responder found it laugh-out-loud funny and another member felt the author did a good job balancing the colonialism, racism and sexism with humor. One of us was struggling at first, but the story picked up and by the end she liked it.
I did not keep detailed notes this month. The discussion jumped back and forth around the table, some of our thoughts coming out like musings, the full table muting the sound. I solicited a few responses because I wasn’t initially certain everyone had spoken.
One of us wondered if the Golden Beetle of New Caldonia is real. Probably not in New Caledonia, but there is a Golden Tortoise Beetle which is common in Eastern North America. Another member wondered if New Caledonia was part of Vanuatu, but it is separate from that chain of islands and is still governed by France.[i] I think we would have liked to have images and maps of the area, but alas, not at the meeting. Stop by the Adult Services Desk and I’ll pull up some pictures. Traveling and experiencing vicariously through books is real!
The majority of us were seriously unhappy with the ending for Enid. Are we sure that Margery’s dad died? One of us is a retired Home Economics teacher and she was appalled at the descriptions of Margery as a teacher. We questioned Dolly’s betrayal of Margery, but understood it when we considered the force of Mrs. Pope’s bullying personality and their previous friendship. One of us called out that Mrs. Pope’s actions, although reprehensible in the context of the story and her personal motivations, could be considered reasonable since she was reporting crimes – breaking into a school and stealing supplies, stealing a jeep, potentially murdering a husband. And what was Enid’s reason for dying Margery’s hair blonde? This story does require quite a bit of suspension of disbelief.
We ended our meeting just shy of the full hour. As usual there was much more we could discuss – perhaps too much more. I had trouble enjoying the book because of the amount of trauma. I wanted the author to save Mundic. I was metaphorically covering my eyes through the end scenes. What makes something humorous, darkly comic, or simply disturbing? We all bring personal connections and experiences that inform our reading responses. That’s what makes our discussions so wonderful and important.
- WORDS:
- Mangle (noun) – “a machine for smoothing or pressing clothes, household linen, etc., by means of heated rollers.” Dictionary.com
- Haversack – A single-strap, one-shouldered bag.
- Hoicked – to lift or pull abruptly or with effort.” Oxford languages search result. “She found two old cane chairs that she hoicked up to the veranda.” Pg. 149
- Jerrycan/Jerry can – “ flat-sided can with a capacity of between 4.5 and 5 gallons used for storing or transporting liquids, esp motor fuel: originally a German design adopted by the British Army during World War II” Dictionary.com
- Cerise – Dark red. From the French word for cherry- so cherry red.
- Choko – “the cucumber-like fruit of a tropical American cucurbitaceous vine, Sechium edule: eaten as a vegetable in the Caribbean, Australia, and New Zealand.” Dictionary.com “A salad of choko and sliced pawpaw.” Pg. 224
- Beriberi – “a disease, endemic in E and S Asia, caused by dietary deficiency of thiamine (vitamin B 1 ). It affects the nerves to the limbs, producing pain, paralysis, and swelling.” Dictionary.com
- OTHER WORKS DISCUSSED:
- Brave the Wild River (2023) by Melissa Sevigny (December 2025 Book Club Discussion)
- BOOKS WE’VE BEEN READING:
- Murder She Wrote: A Body in Boston (2025) by Jessica Fletcher and Terrie Farley Moran
- Project Hail Mary (2021) by Andy Weir
- Parable of the Sower (1993) by Octavia Butler
- The Widow (2025) by John Grisham
- Women of the Bible (Exact title uncertain)
[i] https://www.un.org/dppa/decolonization/en/nsgt/new-caledonia
WhitneyBookBistro 
From Laura, whose comments mirror some of our discussion while more fully developing the ideas posed through the official book-club questions:
Good Evening Whitney Book Bistro:
I really enjoyed reading Miss Benson’s Beetle. I read it on my tablet. I do wish I could have read a print copy.
Miss Benson’s Beetle was a wonderful historical fiction novel. Some of the major themes are the importance of following ones passions and breaking free from societal expections. It shows us the power of female friendship. Margery’s journey serves as a powerful reminder that dreams can be a driving force behind personal transformation. I did not like the ending with Enid’s character. I really did not like Mundic. I loved the adventure. The loved the descriptions of the travels. The jungle.
1. Sharing the books on Beetles, Margery’s father opened the world to her and gave her the ability to dream. Her Mother and Aunt’s reinforced the societal expectations that women were forced to live within. Barbara offered her great advice about living her life. Barbara’s words were useful when Margery was struggling in the jungle.
2.Margery’s core beliefs changed over the course of her adventure. She went from a timid, repressed woman into a courageous dreamer. At the beginning of the novel Margery is sad and unhappy. She was just existing not living her life.
3. When Margery stole the boots, something in her was awakened. I think the boots represented freedom and daring to dream.
4. Margery and Enid’s relationship represents the power of the female friendship. Through the challenges, dreams, adventures, they learn to trust themselves and trust each other. . The encouragement they offer each other helps them grow and face the uncertainties of their lives.
5. I did not like the character of Mr. Mundic at all.
6 I appreciate that Margery felt like she needed a helmet for her Expedition. I think she felt like it legitimized her adventure. The helmet is part of the Uniform she needs to wear to be an Entomologist. I also think there is a practical need to have your head protected when bushwacking. Her helmet is a representation of British Colonialism.
7.Margery’s character embodies the idea of breaking free from fear while Enid’s character challenges societal norms and expectations through her bold and unapologetic personality. I can relate to parts of both women. As a friend, I appreciate Enid’s ability to exist excitely in any situation.
8. I hope Freya will go to New Caledonia. I think she was inspired that they provided evidence that the Golden Beetle existed but left it for her to discover and catalogue. Allowing Freya to have a life-changing adventure.
9. The Golden Beetle represented Margery’s life-long purpose, her abandoned dreams and a then a quest for self-discovery. She used the Golden Beetle (and the other beetles) as a vehicle to escape her traumatic childhood, her unfulfilling adulthood, her unsatisfying job. In the end, finding the Beetle gives Margery a sense of validation for her lifelong dream of finding it.
From Carol (South Carolina):
It was difficult for me to find a starting point for discussing Miss Benson’s Beetle. I thought a lot about it, but couldn’t put thoughts to paper. I think it was because the blurbs made it sound like a light-hearted romp, but I felt so much crushing sadness throughout my read, although, okay, there was definitely some funny stuff.
I just felt so sorry for Margery and Enid because of all the terrible blows that life had dealt them and because of the denigrating way the world regarded them. I was so angry at Margery’s father for abandoning her because of his grief over the death of his sons, seeming to make them more precious, of greater worth than a daughter. I even felt sorry for Mundic, whose terrible suffering as a POW was graphically portrayed. I hoped that he would find redemption by the end of the novel. I guess that’s the mark of a good writer; that the characters are so human that you root for them, even though they are not so admirable.
Speaking of which, I had trouble with Enid’s nonchalant theft and it made me feel that the author would have to kill her off. It looked like my brilliant prediction would occur after the birth of her baby. When she recovered, I thought that she was going to get away with everything. Her death, in that shockingly violent scene, was a sucker punch.
The author didn’t write extensively about the death of Enid’s husband, and it seems like the group didn’t discuss it. I was appalled by the pain that he suffered from his amputation and the lack of treatment available to him. This situation also occurs in Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, where Sam suffers horribly after the amputation of his foot. He tries several different avenues of treatment, but still has a high degree of pain. I can see Enid’s distress, as someone she loved begged her to put him out of his misery. Should she be considered a killer? Even if the law permitted euthanasia, she wouldn’t have been authorized to perform it, so maybe she was a killer. Or, maybe she was justified? It seems like a huge topic, kind of slipped in there and glossed over.
There’s a lot to discuss in this book. Your notes mention most of the topics that came to my mind, but you said that the discussion ended early. Do you think that Enid’s death made people dislike the book and not feel like talking about it?
Great comments Carol! I love the connection of Sam and Enid’s husband’s pain. You and I felt similarly about the Miss Benson’s Beetle. I think we did not talk about euthanasia and some of the other topics because of time constraints. I didn’t take very good notes, so I did not include quite as much as I might otherwise. I know we mentioned euthanasia and the reality of Enid’s thievery, particularly in context of how much everyone disliked the Consul’s wife, who was determined to “out” them as criminals.
From Austin:
In “Miss Benson’s Beetle” by Rachel Joyce, Margery’s family plays a significant role in shaping her identity. Her father, a kind and gentle man, sparks her passion for entomology, particularly the golden beetle, and instills in her a sense of wonder and curiosity. His tragic death, however, also leaves her with feelings of abandonment and grief.
Margery’s mother, on the other hand, is a more complex figure. After her husband’s death, she becomes withdrawn and distant, struggling to cope with her own grief. This leads Margery to feel unloved and unimportant, contributing to her low self-esteem and awkwardness.
Her aunts, who take her in after her father’s death, are strict and religious, imposing their own values and expectations on Margery. They represent a more rigid and traditional way of life, which Margery finds stifling.
The values and beliefs passed down to Margery include:
How do Margery’s core beliefs about herself, about the world, change throughout the novel?:
Throughout “Miss Benson’s Beetle,” Margery’s core beliefs about herself and the world undergo significant transformations. Initially , she sees herself as:
As she embarks on the journey to find the golden beetle, Margery:
Her view of the world also shifts:
By the end, Margery’s core beliefs have evolved to emphasize:
When Margery stole the boots, what was your initial reaction? What do you think the boots represents to her?
When Margery stole the boots, my sense was that she was acting out of desperation and a desire for freedom.
The boots likely represent:
How does Margaery and Enid’s relationship evolve throughout the novel:
Margery and Enid’s relationship evolves beautifully throughout the novel. Initially, they’re awkward colleagues, but they grow into a deep and supportive friendship.
They compliment each other:
They learn from each other:
Together they:
What does the golden beetle mean to Margery? What does it mean to you?
The golden beetle symbolizes:
My “golden beetle” is my passion for helping others through social work. It brings you joy to support people in their toughest moments, and that’s a truly special gift.