Worry Doll (Laura McPhee-Browne, Scribe)

Worry Doll is the immersive and introspective third novel by Laura McPhee-Browne (Cherry Beach, Little Plum). It follows two women: Heloise, a 36-year-old Melburnian living with her partner, a man, and Lacey, a 24-year-old New Zealander in the midst of finding herself. The two meet on a train and start a brief affair that carries very different emotional weight for each of them. Heloise becomes obsessed with the younger, self-assured Lacey, while Lacey approaches the relationship with a more casual, exploratory openness. The novel begins with Heloise’s perspective, tracing a life defined by an uninspired job, a long-term partner and a rich interiority. In the second half, the perspective shifts to Lacey, whose days are shaped by university classes, heartache and a return home. The contrast between their lives is stark, and McPhee-Browne deftly captures the inner worlds of women at different life stages. Much of the pleasure of reading McPhee-Browne lies in her finely observed attention to everyday experience, creating space for readers to recognise themselves in the text. She also explores themes that will resonate with readers in their 20s, including feeling left behind in life, unrequited love, mental health struggles during formative years and the complexities of identity. Worry Doll is for readers who felt seen and understood by Normal People by Sally Rooney and A Room Called Earth by Madeleine Ryan.

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

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