Tag: Rachel Joyce

Maureen Fry and the Angel of the North by Rachel Joyce

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

I have been very kindly gifted an uncorrected proof of ‘Maureen Fry and the Angel of the North’ by Rachel Joyce – which I was very excited about. However, I do have to confess that I have not read the two books that come before this, as my only encounter with the work of Rachel Joyce has been ‘Miss Benson’s Beetle‘, which was a book I really rather enjoyed.

So, I think maybe meeting Maureen Fry without meeting Harold Fry or Queenie was a slightly different way to read this book than maybe others will do. I had no preconceived ideas about any of the characters or the nature of the story, but I am certainly ready to read the others after finishing this, as I thought it was a delightful read.

Maureen is going to follow in the footsteps of her husband Harold, and go on a bit of a pilgrimage of her own. Maybe in not exactly the same way, but she and Harold have decided that she needs to make a journey north, by car, to visit Queenie’s garden. However, this is not an easy journey for Maureen, for all sorts of reasons (which I do not really want to go into, as I do not want to spoil it for anybody who is really looking forward to reading this book). But it is certainly a journey that Maureen does not entirely expect – even with the best-laid plans, it takes her further than she would ever have imagined in her own personal journey as she comes to terms with the past, present and future.

I read this book in one sitting, as I was so invested in Maureen and her story, and it certainly has me keen to meet Harold properly in his own tale. I also love that it is a book with a title that has so many different meanings throughout the narrative – it is a joy when you spot them or wonder if that is the moment that it is referring to. This is a beautiful and wonderfully emotional read about relationships of all kinds, and I am grateful I have been able to read this before its publication date.

Keep your eyes peeled if you would like to meet Maureen Fry, as she will be in bookshops in October.

Miss Benson’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

The pick for the month from ‘The Tasting Notes Book Club’ was ‘Miss Benson’s Beetle’. Now, this caused quite some excitement, as this was the latest paperback release from Rachel Joyce, bestselling author of ‘The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry’. However, I have a confession – I have never read it – so this was my first Rachel Joyce novel.

First, I must talk about the cover of this book. It is just so inviting, with so many little touches that mean so much as you work your way through the book. I returned to the cover once I had finished the book and could not believe how perfectly it fully represented the story.

‘Miss Benson’s Beetle’ is a complete joy of a book. Set in the fifties, Margery Benson makes the rather dramatic decision to leave London and go on an expedition to find an almost mystical beetle. She advertises for an assistant, and this brings Enid Pretty almost crashing into her life. And the adventures do not stop from that moment onwards for this unlikely pair. One of the most remarkable and solid friendships blooms and both women end up on a journey of self-discovery as well as a journey to the other side of the world.

I was surprised by what an emotional read this book became. Each character so beautifully created and two such fascinating women at the centre of it all. It also had so many wonderful elements to it – there was mystery and intrigue as well as adventure. And, well, you just wanted to keep reading.

Rachel Joyce also kindly shares her inspiration for the bookat the end. And that is as fascinating as the book itself.

So, now I have inspired to pick up more books by Rachel Joyce, because I have clearly been missing out.