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Little Plum
On the cusp of thirty, Coral learns that a thing is growing inside her body. It is not necessarily a complete disaster, she tells herself. I’m okay, she tells herself.
Soon the thing inside her is the size of a plum. ‘Little Plum,’ she says, ‘Little Plum, I love you.’
And she wants to love it, the little plum. It’s just that she can’t yet think of it as what it is becoming: a baby, and not just a fruity morsel.
Coral is tapping and shrugging more than usual. She is trying to stop the creature in her head from taking hold.
Coral might not be okay—or she might be seeing more clearly than anyone.
Bold, dark and sensuous, Little Plum is the stunning follow-up to the award-winning debut Cherry Beach. With skill and sensitivity, Laura McPhee-Browne takes us inside the mind of an expectant mother.
Soon the thing inside her is the size of a plum. ‘Little Plum,’ she says, ‘Little Plum, I love you.’
And she wants to love it, the little plum. It’s just that she can’t yet think of it as what it is becoming: a baby, and not just a fruity morsel.
Coral is tapping and shrugging more than usual. She is trying to stop the creature in her head from taking hold.
Coral might not be okay—or she might be seeing more clearly than anyone.
Bold, dark and sensuous, Little Plum is the stunning follow-up to the award-winning debut Cherry Beach. With skill and sensitivity, Laura McPhee-Browne takes us inside the mind of an expectant mother.
- GenresFictionContemporary
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 31, 2023
7 people are currently reading
1041 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
February 9, 2023
Coral, our protagonist, finds herself single and pregnant in her late twenties. There is a gently escalating sense of unease and dread as the pregnancy progresses and Coral’s OCD impulses intensify. The narrative tension builds to the birth of her baby and Coral’s post-partum psychosis, something I know a lot more about after reading Catherine Cho’s Inferno. McPhee-Browne interweaves the significance of dreams and gemstones into the narrative – two concepts that didn’t leave a lasting impression on me. What absolutely did though is her prose. From the use of staccato repetitions in bracketed text (something I last saw utilised in Rebecca Watson’s Little Scratch) to the granular sharp detail of her sentences, I could read McPhee-Browne writing about anything. It’s prose that feels intimate and personal and I wish I could locate exactly how her writing evokes those qualities but I get so lost in her sentences that I don’t care to untangle them. I just want to luxuriate in them. Enjoy this beautiful writing prose lovers.
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July 19, 2023The following book reviews have been shared by Text Publishing – publisher of Little Plum
‘I didn’t so much read Little Plum as breathe it. Laura McPhee-Browne has an extraordinary ability to summon the ordinary and fill it with such significance and beauty that one has no choice but to inhabit her novels. At once exquisite and unsettling, dark and tender, Little Plum is a triumph.’
Hannah Kent
‘Reading McPhee-Browne feels like listening to your own heartbeat.’
Amanda Lohrey
‘Little Plum draws us so lightly into the depths that we don’t know how far it’s taken us until we can’t go back. With dark insight and masterly grace, Laura McPhee-Browne reminds us that our bodies can know things we don’t, that experience can save or afflict us, and that possession can invest us with beautiful and terrible things.’
Ronnie Scott
‘An embodied and magical novel—so dark and earthy, colourful and frightening.’
Ellena Savage
‘The pleasure of reading Little Plum comes from Coral’s inner world and the incredible detail that the reader is invited to experience…McPhee-Browne’s writing feels honest and open; she is confident in airing truthful thoughts around motherhood, whether intrusive or deliberate.’
Books+Publishing
‘A poetic and razor-sharp portrait of motherhood.’
Harper’s Bazaar
‘[Laura McPhee-Browne] does especially well [in portraying] the coexistence of…parental love with an ongoing, often frightening battle with mental illness. It is depicted not as something to fix but something to understand and live with.’
Giselle Au-Nhien Nguyen, Saturday Paper
‘Laura McPhee-Browne’s exquisite, velvety writing creeps up on you unexpectedly…Little Plum is a deeply intimate insight into the mind of a woman who feels alone and scared.’
Readings
‘Little Plum is easily readable, quickly immersive, and offers a vibrant character in Coral. McPhee-Browne has deftly articulated the unique experience of becoming a parent and the vulnerability of motherhood—all without shying away from its devils.’
Guardian Australia
‘Crisp [and] clean…with both clear descriptions and surprising use of imagery…Vivid.’
RN Bookshelf
‘A book on motherhood in all its guises…Beautiful.’
Mel Fulton, 3RRR Literari Glitterati
‘[Little Plum] has a rare physicality to it that one can’t help but inhabit…Earthy like stones and juicy as fruit, McPhee-Browne’s hypnotic prose is visceral, intimate and delicious…Little Plum is a tasty literary treat.’
ArtsHub
‘Intricate, detailed writing…[and] compassionate storytelling…A tender study of a woman whose heart and mind are desperately trying to be in the right place.’
Anna Spargo-Ryan, Big Issue
‘[Laura McPhee-Browne] writes with considerable sensitivity…[Little Plum] is an empathetic, vividly realised novel.’
Gemma Nisbet, West Australian
‘Little Plum evokes with a jewel-like clarity and luminescence the process of nurturing a new life within your body and finding your consciousness transformed by it…Great skill…[McPhee-Browne] never lets us forget that pregnancy is an inside-out transformation.’
Vanessa Francesca, Age
‘McPhee-Browne, as ever, writes with distinction.’
Lucy Sussex, Australian
‘Equal parts witty and poignant…unique…with fresh and unsettling insights.’
Danielle Raffaele, RTRFM Bunch of Books
‘McPhee-Browne brings a refreshing and sensitive approach to mental health…[She] keeps it real…Her use of language is impeccable; dreamy as it is precise. Likewise, the book is inventive with its structure…With exquisite detail, McPhee-Browne immerses us in Coral’s mind and behaviours…Little Plum adds itself to the pantheon of novels that explore the ambiguities of the mother–daughter relationship. Reflected in myriad cultural reckonings, from the pomegranate, to the apple, to this book’s little plum, the relentless cycle of birth–death–renewal, love–loss–growth is shown as inescapable.’
Charle Malycon, Meanjin
‘A deeply moving account of living with anxiety and motherhood.’
Nicole Abadee, Age
‘Richly sensuous…Demonstrates the power of fiction to slice open the quotidian.’
Megan Cheong, Kill Your Darlings
‘McPhee-Browne writes in such a deft and striking manner about mental ill-health…This is an exuberant and empathetic novel.’
Better Read Than Dead
‘I didn’t so much read Little Plum as breathe it. Laura McPhee-Browne has an extraordinary ability to summon the ordinary and fill it with such significance and beauty that one has no choice but to inhabit her novels. At once exquisite and unsettling, dark and tender, Little Plum is a triumph.’
Hannah Kent
‘Reading McPhee-Browne feels like listening to your own heartbeat.’
Amanda Lohrey
‘Little Plum draws us so lightly into the depths that we don’t know how far it’s taken us until we can’t go back. With dark insight and masterly grace, Laura McPhee-Browne reminds us that our bodies can know things we don’t, that experience can save or afflict us, and that possession can invest us with beautiful and terrible things.’
Ronnie Scott
‘An embodied and magical novel—so dark and earthy, colourful and frightening.’
Ellena Savage
‘The pleasure of reading Little Plum comes from Coral’s inner world and the incredible detail that the reader is invited to experience…McPhee-Browne’s writing feels honest and open; she is confident in airing truthful thoughts around motherhood, whether intrusive or deliberate.’
Books+Publishing
‘A poetic and razor-sharp portrait of motherhood.’
Harper’s Bazaar
‘[Laura McPhee-Browne] does especially well [in portraying] the coexistence of…parental love with an ongoing, often frightening battle with mental illness. It is depicted not as something to fix but something to understand and live with.’
Giselle Au-Nhien Nguyen, Saturday Paper
‘Laura McPhee-Browne’s exquisite, velvety writing creeps up on you unexpectedly…Little Plum is a deeply intimate insight into the mind of a woman who feels alone and scared.’
Readings
‘Little Plum is easily readable, quickly immersive, and offers a vibrant character in Coral. McPhee-Browne has deftly articulated the unique experience of becoming a parent and the vulnerability of motherhood—all without shying away from its devils.’
Guardian Australia
‘Crisp [and] clean…with both clear descriptions and surprising use of imagery…Vivid.’
RN Bookshelf
‘A book on motherhood in all its guises…Beautiful.’
Mel Fulton, 3RRR Literari Glitterati
‘[Little Plum] has a rare physicality to it that one can’t help but inhabit…Earthy like stones and juicy as fruit, McPhee-Browne’s hypnotic prose is visceral, intimate and delicious…Little Plum is a tasty literary treat.’
ArtsHub
‘Intricate, detailed writing…[and] compassionate storytelling…A tender study of a woman whose heart and mind are desperately trying to be in the right place.’
Anna Spargo-Ryan, Big Issue
‘[Laura McPhee-Browne] writes with considerable sensitivity…[Little Plum] is an empathetic, vividly realised novel.’
Gemma Nisbet, West Australian
‘Little Plum evokes with a jewel-like clarity and luminescence the process of nurturing a new life within your body and finding your consciousness transformed by it…Great skill…[McPhee-Browne] never lets us forget that pregnancy is an inside-out transformation.’
Vanessa Francesca, Age
‘McPhee-Browne, as ever, writes with distinction.’
Lucy Sussex, Australian
‘Equal parts witty and poignant…unique…with fresh and unsettling insights.’
Danielle Raffaele, RTRFM Bunch of Books
‘McPhee-Browne brings a refreshing and sensitive approach to mental health…[She] keeps it real…Her use of language is impeccable; dreamy as it is precise. Likewise, the book is inventive with its structure…With exquisite detail, McPhee-Browne immerses us in Coral’s mind and behaviours…Little Plum adds itself to the pantheon of novels that explore the ambiguities of the mother–daughter relationship. Reflected in myriad cultural reckonings, from the pomegranate, to the apple, to this book’s little plum, the relentless cycle of birth–death–renewal, love–loss–growth is shown as inescapable.’
Charle Malycon, Meanjin
‘A deeply moving account of living with anxiety and motherhood.’
Nicole Abadee, Age
‘Richly sensuous…Demonstrates the power of fiction to slice open the quotidian.’
Megan Cheong, Kill Your Darlings
‘McPhee-Browne writes in such a deft and striking manner about mental ill-health…This is an exuberant and empathetic novel.’
Better Read Than Dead
February 11, 2023
I rarely pre-order books these days (I usually guilt myself out of doing so by reminding myself of the sheer number of books I already own, not to mention the ever increasing number of unread ARCs...) but when I saw Laura McPhee-Browne had a new novel coming out I didn't hesitate to order a copy in advance of publication, having loved her debut, Cherry Beach. Her follow-up, Little Plum, is thematically a rather different novel, but is equally as impressive and one I found hard to put down.
Pregnancy/motherhood-focused books - both fiction and non-fiction - are ten a penny these days, so it takes something to make a book on the topic stand out from the crowd. McPhee-Browne's novel definitely achieves this, following Coral, a woman in her late 20s with OCD who gets pregnant after a brief relationship. We follow her up to her early days of motherhood and are utterly immersed in her experience of pregnancy. The novel was somewhat darker at times than I expected it to be, but this is no criticism. Recommended!
Pregnancy/motherhood-focused books - both fiction and non-fiction - are ten a penny these days, so it takes something to make a book on the topic stand out from the crowd. McPhee-Browne's novel definitely achieves this, following Coral, a woman in her late 20s with OCD who gets pregnant after a brief relationship. We follow her up to her early days of motherhood and are utterly immersed in her experience of pregnancy. The novel was somewhat darker at times than I expected it to be, but this is no criticism. Recommended!
May 7, 2023
Coral, a journalist (in training) is single, almost 30, and pregnant. She also has OCD/mental health issues.
The writing captured me from the first page and made me feel like I was present in Coral's life, a first hand witness to her relationships and pregnancy. I cared deeply for Coral and 'little plum'. McPhee-Browne's handling of Coral's mental health issues was subtle and yet powerful and full of respect and understanding. As were her observations on motherhood and maternal instincts.
The first I have read by this author but not the last.
The writing captured me from the first page and made me feel like I was present in Coral's life, a first hand witness to her relationships and pregnancy. I cared deeply for Coral and 'little plum'. McPhee-Browne's handling of Coral's mental health issues was subtle and yet powerful and full of respect and understanding. As were her observations on motherhood and maternal instincts.
The first I have read by this author but not the last.
March 5, 2023
I was no less than enthralled reading this book and it’s now a personal favourite of mine.
This is not one of those books where you feel like a bystander, observing the characters and storylines from a distance. The author, Laura McPhee-Browne, does an excellent job of drawing the reader into the story and making them care deeply about the characters, whose thoughts and actions are so immediate and visceral that you become entirely invested in them and their narratives. This is especially true of the young female protagonist ‘Coral’ who is pregnant for the first time whilst also struggling with diagnosed obsessive compulsive disorder – a condition which frequently overwhelms her with truly dark, disturbed and intrusive thoughts along with terrifying episodes of psychosis.
One of the standout features of this book is the author's skillful use of language, which is both poetic and descriptive. I found myself taken on a journey and transported to new and exotic locations, even places I have never visited before, which made for a vivid and atmospheric setting in which the story could unfold
However, what truly sets this book apart is the author's healthy respect for those characters that have mental health illnesses; unlike other books, the illnesses they have are just that (illnesses, and not character traits), and those illnesses don’t define them (and nor should they). I truly believe that this type of writing and storytelling goes a long way to destigmatise and displace the widely held perception that ill people are not functional and don’t relate to the world in the same way as others. This empathetic viewpoint also comes through in the author’s captivating debut novel, Cherry Beach.
Overall, Little Plum is an intriguing and amusing read that I would enthusiastically recommend to others, especially those looking for a book that explores complex characters and issues with sensitivity and empathy. I hope to see this book added to many book club lists in the future.
This is not one of those books where you feel like a bystander, observing the characters and storylines from a distance. The author, Laura McPhee-Browne, does an excellent job of drawing the reader into the story and making them care deeply about the characters, whose thoughts and actions are so immediate and visceral that you become entirely invested in them and their narratives. This is especially true of the young female protagonist ‘Coral’ who is pregnant for the first time whilst also struggling with diagnosed obsessive compulsive disorder – a condition which frequently overwhelms her with truly dark, disturbed and intrusive thoughts along with terrifying episodes of psychosis.
One of the standout features of this book is the author's skillful use of language, which is both poetic and descriptive. I found myself taken on a journey and transported to new and exotic locations, even places I have never visited before, which made for a vivid and atmospheric setting in which the story could unfold
However, what truly sets this book apart is the author's healthy respect for those characters that have mental health illnesses; unlike other books, the illnesses they have are just that (illnesses, and not character traits), and those illnesses don’t define them (and nor should they). I truly believe that this type of writing and storytelling goes a long way to destigmatise and displace the widely held perception that ill people are not functional and don’t relate to the world in the same way as others. This empathetic viewpoint also comes through in the author’s captivating debut novel, Cherry Beach.
Overall, Little Plum is an intriguing and amusing read that I would enthusiastically recommend to others, especially those looking for a book that explores complex characters and issues with sensitivity and empathy. I hope to see this book added to many book club lists in the future.
March 18, 2023
I can't help but think of a family member who confided in me that she hadn't realised having children was so difficult and that she wished someone had spoken with her about the difficult, emotionally devastating parts. I think this is that book.
I figured I knew where the story was heading, and I was broadly correct, but what I didn't predict was the tender frankness with which Laura paints some of the darkest times of new motherhood. I felt the honour with which she held the true stories which had inspired this book, and the acknowledgement that bringing a baby into the world can be beautiful, but can also bring an ugliness that it takes a community to support someone to recover from. My thoughts go with any new parent struggling. May you get the help and support you need.
I figured I knew where the story was heading, and I was broadly correct, but what I didn't predict was the tender frankness with which Laura paints some of the darkest times of new motherhood. I felt the honour with which she held the true stories which had inspired this book, and the acknowledgement that bringing a baby into the world can be beautiful, but can also bring an ugliness that it takes a community to support someone to recover from. My thoughts go with any new parent struggling. May you get the help and support you need.
January 5, 2023
A book based on motherhood and selfhood. the prose was acid-sharp with its depiction of the internal conflicts and hardships borne by the protagonist, who suffers from OCD and constant intrusive thoughts. It was truly insightful and poignant to read.
January 1, 2025
i didn't love this. i think there is a lot that can be learned from reading it, and i sympathized with our fmc as she struggled to prepare for motherhood. the raw reality of depression, ocd, and anxiety were really interesting to read about.
however, i found myself disconnected from the book as a whole. i'm not sure if it was the writing style, or the way certain things were handled, but i didn't care for much that went on.
➵ 2 stars
however, i found myself disconnected from the book as a whole. i'm not sure if it was the writing style, or the way certain things were handled, but i didn't care for much that went on.
➵ 2 stars
February 20, 2023
Well, yep I loved this. Laura McPhee-Browne introduces Coral our 30 year old journalist who unexpectedly falls pregnant. Mcphee-Browne writes so beautifully that not only did I connect with Coral’s character, but I felt emotionally invested in the outcome, alongside her family and friends.
Pregnancy is bloody hard. Not everyone loves it and I was definitely one of those people. Like Coral, I had little to no connection with our baby before it arrived and that’s fine. There is so much pressure to love being pregnant and connect with your baby but I think a lot of people feel that way that Coral felt, myself included. People ask questions about how you feel and how the baby is going and you can’t give them a real answer. I felt for Coral because what McPhee-Browne shows with Coral is that what happens after birth is so real with so many women, in particular those who don’t have that “connection” initially.
This book resonated more with me because of my pregnancy but I think you could read this if you haven’t been pregnant. Well done Laura McPhee-Browne, this was an incredible journey.
Pregnancy is bloody hard. Not everyone loves it and I was definitely one of those people. Like Coral, I had little to no connection with our baby before it arrived and that’s fine. There is so much pressure to love being pregnant and connect with your baby but I think a lot of people feel that way that Coral felt, myself included. People ask questions about how you feel and how the baby is going and you can’t give them a real answer. I felt for Coral because what McPhee-Browne shows with Coral is that what happens after birth is so real with so many women, in particular those who don’t have that “connection” initially.
This book resonated more with me because of my pregnancy but I think you could read this if you haven’t been pregnant. Well done Laura McPhee-Browne, this was an incredible journey.
March 14, 2024
think it was the exact timing i read this book that made me love it so much. in mcphee-browne’s debut i found her prose overwrought; here, every second sentence made me tear up. just incredibly beautiful. each page dripped with the confusion of a world that has so much to offer you don’t know how to take it, love so heavy it almost terrifies you. i loved this with my whole heart
November 10, 2023
laura mcphee-browne is one of my most favourite authors.
March 11, 2023
This book was hard to like. I skimmed through the first 200 pages which failed to keep me engaged - the writing style whose use of the third person and the constant referencing of the title character’s name only served to create a disassociation with Carol. I found Carol’s passivity and her desire to obliterate herself through alcohol quite disturbing. This and the lack of development of every other character in the book made for a a tedious read. However the end section of the book was infinitely sad and beautifully written. Disappointing.
January 13, 2025
Coral is a late twenty-something journalist in training who finds herself pregnant after a quick fling with a camera man. Despite her mental health issues and her seeming nonchalance to having a baby in her future, she continues with the pregnancy.
Coral's life is populated with an oddball cast of characters, Ruby with whom she drinks to excess with, Amber her best friend from childhood and her mother Topaz. Her relationships with all of them are strange but maybe that's only because we ever see them from within Coral's head, which is dominated by her OCD.
I appreciated this study of a woman with mental health struggles navigate pregnancy but I did struggle with the narrative voice. Coral often felt removed from her own story and I felt the climax of the narrative wasn't well built towards, more of a slump from the preemptive climax. But the dedication of Coral's mental health struggles was well done, sometimes written in a way that was so subtle and underplayed that it truly added to an underlying tension.
Coral's life is populated with an oddball cast of characters, Ruby with whom she drinks to excess with, Amber her best friend from childhood and her mother Topaz. Her relationships with all of them are strange but maybe that's only because we ever see them from within Coral's head, which is dominated by her OCD.
I appreciated this study of a woman with mental health struggles navigate pregnancy but I did struggle with the narrative voice. Coral often felt removed from her own story and I felt the climax of the narrative wasn't well built towards, more of a slump from the preemptive climax. But the dedication of Coral's mental health struggles was well done, sometimes written in a way that was so subtle and underplayed that it truly added to an underlying tension.
March 31, 2023
Not what I expected, but a truly wonderful book. My rating of three stars was more about how the book made me feel, than the quality of writing or the storyline. I found myself anxious and concerned as the story unfolded, but at its conclusion, I appreciate Laura McPhee-Browne’s intention. Mental illness is such a complex issue and mix with that pregnancy and having a child, it’s certainly a subject I’d like to explore more. This book has opened my eyes and my mind.
February 11, 2023
I inhaled this. The writing is exceptional, Coral is a very intriguing and sympathetic character and the depictions of pregnancy and early motherhood are totally on point and evoked a lot of feelings in me. Crying on the train type feelings.
January 22, 2024
Didn't feel super engaged in the story. Whilst with many books you don't have to have experienced what the character has to be able to enjoy it, I did find here that a lack of relatability distanced me from the story.
July 28, 2023
A good book highlighting the complexity of mental health, pregnancy, birth and post-partum. An easy but compelling read. Some midwifery info incorrect but I've let that go.
September 17, 2023
a sense of unease stirs whilst u read this book and I think its a blunt and ugly depiction of pregnancy + motherhood. im not a mom but i can imagine this book articulates what many women have experienced but have been unable to voice (especially in this era of yummy mummy influencers where the expectation for mothers to 'girl boss' is intensified)
I didn't feel particularly connected to coral's trip to poland and Gosia dying, but I did enjoy coral's observations of Amber and the unique love that is longterm female friendship (the kind that is binding and sometimes maddening). I found the last 40 pages really moving and wish coral's experience of postpartum had been explored further.
I didn't feel particularly connected to coral's trip to poland and Gosia dying, but I did enjoy coral's observations of Amber and the unique love that is longterm female friendship (the kind that is binding and sometimes maddening). I found the last 40 pages really moving and wish coral's experience of postpartum had been explored further.
January 2, 2024
Beautiful and sad book, the last 30 pages got me GOOD
May 25, 2023
MOTHERHOOD + GIRLHOOD!!!! I'm thinking this is anywhere between 3.75-4 ⭐️. this made me ouch, and smile, so hauntingly beautiful!!! these friendships god I want them. she'll always have a dear space in my heart <333333
October 19, 2023
i’d like to give this a four but the writing style seemed to just not grab me enough
February 5, 2023
Exquisite. Just like in Cherry Beach, these characters and their inner lives will stay with me forever.
April 19, 2024
this fell into my favourite genre, which could be described as 'sad girl,' but i like to think extends to books that explore young women's relationships, purpose, and self-destruction or sabotage. i just love feeling seen, and wallowing sometimes. i loved how this book dealt with imperfect relationships, unexpected pregnancy and fluctuating mental health. am obsessed with laura's sparse, poignant writing (highly recommend her other book 'cherry beach,' which i preferred overall.) this was grim and gross, but also beautiful and hopeful.
April 17, 2023
No doubt you would have seen some rave reviews for LITTLE PLUM by now, and for good reason. It’s a novel that’s dreamy and atmospheric, soothing with just a tinge of dark — the perfect tone for many readers.
And yet. At times this had the opposite effect on me. Rather than drawing me in, I continually felt a sense of detachment. The novel is about Coral who finds herself unexpectedly pregnant after a tryst with someone she’s only just met. She’s someone who seems overly passive, avoidant and she’s also medicated for OCD which may explain some of her oddly placid behaviour.
The entire story is sparse, making this a highly readable novel and one that I finished in just over a day. But this also made it feel like a sketch — a surface-level articulation of a fairly stock-standard prenatal experience — instead of a layered character portrait of someone with a mental health disorder. LITTLE PLUM goes through all the expected motions of an unexpected pregnancy without making much of a conscious effort to explore reason or conflict.
It’s prose consistently felt serene and unbothered even though it’s plot felt like it should have been otherwise. And so, for me at least, this incongruence led to something that felt hollow. There was an unshakeable naivety to Coral and her motivations remained vague.
LITTLE PLUM was like a drawn out short story — so if you’re inclined towards swiftly written novels with an unaffected charm, this would be for you. Perhaps, because of my inclination towards substance, this one just didn’t quite fill me up the same way as it did for most readers.
Find more of my reviews on Instagram: @tackling.my.tbr
And yet. At times this had the opposite effect on me. Rather than drawing me in, I continually felt a sense of detachment. The novel is about Coral who finds herself unexpectedly pregnant after a tryst with someone she’s only just met. She’s someone who seems overly passive, avoidant and she’s also medicated for OCD which may explain some of her oddly placid behaviour.
The entire story is sparse, making this a highly readable novel and one that I finished in just over a day. But this also made it feel like a sketch — a surface-level articulation of a fairly stock-standard prenatal experience — instead of a layered character portrait of someone with a mental health disorder. LITTLE PLUM goes through all the expected motions of an unexpected pregnancy without making much of a conscious effort to explore reason or conflict.
It’s prose consistently felt serene and unbothered even though it’s plot felt like it should have been otherwise. And so, for me at least, this incongruence led to something that felt hollow. There was an unshakeable naivety to Coral and her motivations remained vague.
LITTLE PLUM was like a drawn out short story — so if you’re inclined towards swiftly written novels with an unaffected charm, this would be for you. Perhaps, because of my inclination towards substance, this one just didn’t quite fill me up the same way as it did for most readers.
Find more of my reviews on Instagram: @tackling.my.tbr
April 11, 2023
Four stars because McPhee-Browne’s writing is unadorned, emotionally aware precision! It is a quick read because every line is clear and truthful.
Having said that, readers should be wary of potential triggers in “Little Plum”. I struggled with this book and the depiction of pregnancy. There is an implication that if you feel detached from your pregnancy, or even struggle to feel connected to your babe once born, it is a sign of mental illness or something “wrong”. I didn’t like this suggestion at all. In fact, I suspect it might be very common for women to feel that the baby growing inside them is a bit alien, finding it difficult to feel all the “right” things about them. The idea of a mother’s instant, instinctive, all absorbing love for her babe is surely a patriarchal lie told to us to convince women that we must be perfect, loving, intuitive mothers - prepared to sacrifice everything as carers.
I suppose I just didn’t think that Coral’s outward behaviours (until the end…) were obviously “abnormal” enough for people to notice any strangeness. Being pregnant is a lot to process and everyone will experience it differently. Unfortunately it’s not always the blooming gentleness that is often depicted in movies and on social media.
Having said that, readers should be wary of potential triggers in “Little Plum”. I struggled with this book and the depiction of pregnancy. There is an implication that if you feel detached from your pregnancy, or even struggle to feel connected to your babe once born, it is a sign of mental illness or something “wrong”. I didn’t like this suggestion at all. In fact, I suspect it might be very common for women to feel that the baby growing inside them is a bit alien, finding it difficult to feel all the “right” things about them. The idea of a mother’s instant, instinctive, all absorbing love for her babe is surely a patriarchal lie told to us to convince women that we must be perfect, loving, intuitive mothers - prepared to sacrifice everything as carers.
I suppose I just didn’t think that Coral’s outward behaviours (until the end…) were obviously “abnormal” enough for people to notice any strangeness. Being pregnant is a lot to process and everyone will experience it differently. Unfortunately it’s not always the blooming gentleness that is often depicted in movies and on social media.
March 23, 2023
When I finally felt myself drawn into this book, it ended. Postpartum Coral was the jewel of this book and she felt hurried; as if there were a rush to complete her story. I would’ve loved more time with her.
August 14, 2023
Beautiful prose that made me feel like I was gliding through the book. I loved how gracefully Laura McPhee-Browne moves in between exploring the light and dark of a person’s experience - it was beautiful and taught me much.
January 14, 2023
got my hands on an advanced copy of this and gobbled it up. another easy read from a writer who I confidently put in the same league as Jennifer Down. it's a poetic take on mental illness and motherhood, so in ways quite a simple read. continuing a trend I noticed in Small Joys of Real Life by Allee Richards, and now wondering what has gripped millennial writers to write about motherhood? or why I am picking up all those books? so it's possible to compare this novel to others about Melbourne or young woman on the brink of womanhood/motherhood, but I think what sets it apart is the suspension of disbelief required as she creates this caricature of a father who didn't persist in his involvement in the pregnancy, nor did his parents enter the story at all. it was utopian in that regard. but such was the world created, where everybody's name is a gemstone, and you're led to wonder if, like the tram accident scene, the whole thing was a dream. it might have been a more complex and mature novel if that was a suggestion. also inexplicable (and perhaps unnecessary) were the asides (in brackets) throughout. anyhoo I liked it because I like the writing and capacity of the author, but I was left with many more questions about the protagonist's motivations and the overall narrative.
February 18, 2023
Our Review...
Soon to enter her thirties, Coral discovers that she is pregnant, although she doesn’t call it that or connect with it in that way, she knows deep down that a tiny human is growing inside her.
As the pregnancy progresses, Coral bonds with her baby by connecting the baby’s development with a corresponding fruit of similar size, in this sense she gets to know her “little Plum”.
We find ourselves living with Coral, and becoming enveloped in her inner world as she navigates her life. We sit with her and listen to the challenges that her obsessive-compulsive disorder brings, and the expectations of motherhood and womanhood that she is surrounded by.
Laura McPhee-Browne draws us into the depth of life as an expected mother as she has created a complex and intriguing character in Coral. Her book is one to be felt. It is profound, emotional, and poetic and draws you in from the very first page, a truly remarkable read.
Review by Lydia @ Great Escape Books
Soon to enter her thirties, Coral discovers that she is pregnant, although she doesn’t call it that or connect with it in that way, she knows deep down that a tiny human is growing inside her.
As the pregnancy progresses, Coral bonds with her baby by connecting the baby’s development with a corresponding fruit of similar size, in this sense she gets to know her “little Plum”.
We find ourselves living with Coral, and becoming enveloped in her inner world as she navigates her life. We sit with her and listen to the challenges that her obsessive-compulsive disorder brings, and the expectations of motherhood and womanhood that she is surrounded by.
Laura McPhee-Browne draws us into the depth of life as an expected mother as she has created a complex and intriguing character in Coral. Her book is one to be felt. It is profound, emotional, and poetic and draws you in from the very first page, a truly remarkable read.
Review by Lydia @ Great Escape Books
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