Little Plum (Laura McPhee-Browne, Text)

Little Plum is the second novel by the award-winning author of Cherry Beach, Laura McPhee-Browne. The story unfolds around 29-year-old Coral, who decides to follow through with a pregnancy from a two-night stand. We’re with Coral as she meets Jasper, has good and then bad sex with him, grows a child inside her, and becomes a mother. The narrative is straightforward: a woman has a baby. But the pleasure of reading Little Plum comes from Coral’s inner world and the incredible detail that the reader is invited to experience. We’re privy to intrusive thoughts, and compulsive tapping and checking behaviours. We go to dinner with Coral’s mother and come to understand their strange relationship and what it implies about Coral’s anxiety about being there for a child. We’re treated to pasta in Carlton, tram rides through Melbourne’s inner north and details about precious stones. McPhee-Browne’s writing feels honest and open; she is confident in airing truthful thoughts around motherhood, whether intrusive or deliberate. Exploring themes of womanhood, identity, friendship and mental health, McPhee-Browne is a skilled writer and appears to have a deep understanding of her own inner world and mental health. Similar to Allee Richards’ Small Joys of Real Life, Little Plum is a sincere character study for anyone who relates to being an almost-30-year-old navigating one of life’s crossroads.

Danielle Bagnato is a book reviewer and marketing and communications professional. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

Read Bagnato’s interview with Laura McPhee-Browne about Little Plum here.

Category: Reviews