Looking for Alibrandi
Looking for Alibrandi was first published in Australia on 5 October 1992. The novel became an international success and won several awards in 1993, including the CBCA Book of the Year Award for Older Readers.
The novel also became known as Australia’s most-stolen school library book. Melina Marchetta later wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation of Looking for Alibrandi, which was released in Australian cinemas in 2000.
Novel Summary
Looking for Alibrandi follows a teenage girl through her final year of school—the year she sets herself free.
Josephine Alibrandi is seventeen and in her final year at a wealthy girls’ school. During the year, she meets her father, falls in love and discovers long-hidden truths about her family and identity.
The emotionally honest novel offers insight into the life of a young person on the cusp of adulthood.
Detailed Book Summary
Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta follows Josephine “Josie” Alibrandi, a seventeen-year-old in her final year at a prestigious Catholic girls’ school in Sydney. Josie struggles with the stigma of being “illegitimate” within her tight-knit Italian-Australian community. Over the course of the year, she meets her estranged father, Michael Andretti, falls in love with Jacob Coote and grapples with the burden of family expectations and secrets.
As Josie learns more about her family history, she begins to understand her mother and grandmother differently. She also learns to reconcile her Italian heritage with her desire for independence.
The exploration of cultural identity, family relationships and personal growth makes Looking for Alibrandi relatable to readers approaching adulthood.
Story Outline
- Introduction to the novel
- Title: Looking for Alibrandi
- Author: Melina Marchetta
- Setting: Sydney, Australia
- Main themes: cultural identity, family expectations and personal freedom
- Main characters
- Josephine “Josie” Alibrandi: A seventeen-year-old student dealing with questions about culture, family and identity.
- Michael Andretti: Josie’s estranged father, who unexpectedly re-enters her life.
- Christina Alibrandi: Josie’s mother, who raised her as a single parent.
- Katia Alibrandi: Josie’s grandmother, whose past contains secrets that have affected the family.
- Plot overview
- Josie struggles with the stigma surrounding her birth and Italian-Australian background.
- Her father, Michael, returns and gradually develops a relationship with her.
- Josie becomes romantically involved with Jacob Coote.
- Family revelations change how Josie sees her mother and grandmother.
- Josie develops a clearer understanding of her heritage and personal identity.
- Main themes
- Cultural identity: Josie attempts to reconcile her Italian heritage with her Australian upbringing.
- Family expectations: Long-held traditions and secrets influence the choices available to each generation.
- Personal freedom: Josie works towards independence and greater self-acceptance.
Why Looking for Alibrandi Still Matters
Looking for Alibrandi remains relevant because Josie’s identity is never reduced to a choice between being Italian and Australian. She becomes more comfortable with her heritage while continuing to question family expectations and define adulthood on her own terms.
Class is just as important as culture. Josie attends an expensive private school where wealth, family reputation and social connections appear to determine who belongs. Her ambition to become a lawyer is partly about achievement and partly about gaining control over how others see her.
Josie also remains convincing because she is allowed to be difficult. She is intelligent and outspoken, but also impatient, judgmental and frequently wrong. Much of her growth comes from recognising that her mother, grandmother, father and classmates are more complicated than she assumed.
The story continues to attract new audiences rather than surviving only as a nostalgic school text. A national stage tour in 2025, a restored cinema release and new editions have kept its ideas about migration, privilege, grief and belonging in public view.
When Was Looking for Alibrandi Published?
Looking for Alibrandi was first published by Penguin Books in Australia on 5 October 1992. Its success led to international publication, translated editions and repeated reprints in Australia.
A film tie-in edition appeared around the release of the screen adaptation in 2000. Penguin published a 30th-anniversary hardback in 2022, followed by a clothbound Penguin Modern Australian Classics edition and a new audiobook on 14 July 2026.
Related: Looking for Alibrandi | Book Reviews