This year marks the 30th anniversary of Melina Marchetta’s beloved 1992 classic, Looking for Alibrandi, which is a timeless coming-of-age story that deals with themes surrounding love, identity and family.

Set in Sydney during the 1990s, the novel follows Josephine Alibrandi as she navigates her final year of high school at an elite girls’ school. Josie is a witty, passionate, and intelligent 17-year-old who has been brought up by her single Italian mother and grandmother. She finds herself in a constant battle with her family over her need for independence and their cultural expectations.

Inspired by Marchetta’s own cultural experiences, the book looks at Josie’s desire to belong. This longing is further compounded by her feelings of otherness at her school where she experiences racism and is looked down upon for having a scholarship.

In her final year at school, Josie is confronted with many new experiences from meeting her father for the first time, falling in love, grieving, and uncovering family secrets. These experiences ultimately shape her, and over the course of the novel we see her grow and find herself.

Looking for Alibrandi was Marchetta’s first novel, which she began writing at the early age of 19. Its pages are filled with warmth and humour and rereading the novel as an adult was just as moving and joyful as it was when I read it for the first time in high school.

It’s a powerful novel about community and belonging that continues to resonate with younger generations. Notably, this special hardback edition includes an exclusive preface from Marchetta, photographs, glimpses of the original manuscript and more.

Reviewed by Akina Hansen
Age Guide 14+

Find more books by Melina Marchette here.