Not Like Mr Benn

(Paperback)

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As a young girl in Sydney, Rachel pays more attention than she perhaps should, to a British cartoon character who accesses different personas on separate adventures, each time he goes into the changing room of a London costume shop. Then as if by magic, the owner of the shop taps Mr Benn on the shoulder at an opportune moment, excusing him to go back to being himself.

In her early twenties, Rachel sets off for London with the aim of having a few adventures of her own. But unlike Mr Benn, life irrevocably changes for her once she leaves the safety and familiarity of home. Does she become the victim of a mysterious mental health illness while she is in Israel and Egypt, or is something else at play Rachel is forced to accept theres no coming back from some adventures, and that coming to terms with reality is perhaps her only real chance of accessing the life she craves most.

Belinda Cranston beautifully captures the pluck and longing as well as the sadness and bewilderment of her young adventurer: she knows so little about the world and dares to want so much. Not Like Mr Benn is a haunting story about the messiness of life and about travel as it once was, yet still can be, both profound and life changing. Peter Bishop