Differential treatment due to her race and struggles with her mental health are two of the main talking points to have emerged from the release of Mary Fowler’s book Bloom this week. In it, the 22-year-old Matildas star revealed an incident at French club Montpellier in which she and another black teammate were given bananas instead of flowers when departing the club.

Fowler wrote in depth for the first time about her experiences with self-harm and suicidal thoughts, which began when she lived in France at 17 and reached an apex point while at Manchester City before she turned 20. Aimed at younger audiences to guide them through early adulthood, the 212-page book is packed with fascinating insights into the life of one of Australia’s shining sports stars.

“Mary Fowler has shown a lot

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