Miss Benson's Beetle by Rachel Joyce
This is one of those stories of self discovery and unlikely friendship. Which sounds a bit cliched, doesn't it? But it isn't. Miss Benson walks out of her teaching job which is making her miserable and decides to go and discover a mythical golden beetle in Australia. She needs a companion/helper for the trip and, due to lack of choice, ends up hiring Enid who is wholeheartedly unsuitable. Both are escaping something and being pursued. With Miss Benson, we know it's her miserable life and some accidentally stolen shoes but Enid's history is more of a mystery. And they are also being stalked by a rejected companion who has got serious post war PTSD. Neither of them are suited to each other or to any kind of travel, never mind a tough expedition. In fact, I couldn't really stand either of them for at least the first half of the book. But, as this is your classic journey of discovery, they find hidden depths within themselves and each other and grow and "find the...