Pearls: Narrative strands

by Tracy Crisp

In the pages of Pearls, Tracy Crisp entwines the pull of grief, the push of creative ambition, the messiness of family and friendships, and the many possible versions of ourselves.

Tracy’s father has just died, and she’s helping to clear out her childhood home in Port Pirie. But she still cannot find the pearls – her mother’s pearls, lost ever since her mother died in a car accident, not long after Tracy wore the pearls for her own wedding.

Followed by grief, Tracy moves with her young family to a dislocating new home in another country and back again. She sees her boys morph into adults, her beloved grandfather lose his memory, and her friends fall into their second acts through their stitch and bitch group chat. All the while, Tracy is pulled back to consider her mother’s restlessness and hopes, and what other iterations of life she herself could be living.

Originally performed as a series of award-winning coming-of-middle-age ‘memoir monologues’, Pearls is a lyrically written, beautifully moving, sharply funny and endlessly relatable tapestry of human experience. 

123 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 24, 2026

Reviews

[Daniella]

I just don't know that this entirely worked for me as a collection?

Some beautiful reflections on ageing and motherhood - "The Forgettory" a particular standout - but then 'funnier' stories like "Stitches" and "Where to from here?" pulled me right out of it and were kind of jarring. I understand this is collected from 6 monologues the author performs as part of a comedy act, and I do think seeing them in that form would really help to bring them to life.

I went into this hoping for something a bit more hard-hitting, and there were glimpses of that, but I'm not sold on it as a whole.

[Louise Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pearls somehow captures the beautifully unique experience of one woman, but in a way that feels universally relatable. It's an exquisitely written exploration of family, loss and the constant push and pull of the paths we take and the ones we don't. In equal parts nostalgic, melancholic and hilarious, Pearls captures snapshots of life in a rural south Australian garden, in an Abu Dhabi apartment, on Edinburgh stages and in Adelaide markets. An instant classic and another fantastic read from Tracy Crisp. Also note that that book was based on a series of live performances, seamlessly transformed for print, and not to be missed if you get the chance to see them!

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining, thoughtful read - sometimes chaotic but all came together with warmth and humour