It's no surprise that Linda Marigliano felt a great kinship with Josephine Alibrandi as a teenager. Melina Marchetta's feisty 17-year-old protagonist put a face to the experience of third-culture kids in Australia, and being born to both Italian and Chinese Malaysian parents, there was an overlap between Marigliano's own coming-of-age and that of the main character's in Looking for Alibrandi.
In her new memoir, Love Language, the radio presenter and podcaster unpicks the threads of her life to better understand a pattern of over-committing, seeking approval and feeling stretched thin that she'd found herself in. By examining her relationship with her mother, the sense of duty instilled within her large extended family and the unique demands of her career, Marigliano casts light on how her love language of acts of service had begun to serve everyone except herself.
With Love Language out in the world, RUSSH spoke to Linda Marigliano about her own reading habits. Below, the author and podcaster talks the book that changed her life and answers the impossible question of selecting her favourite authors. And if you're still hungry afterwards, you can catch Marigliano on the new season of her podcast Tough Love, with fresh episodes dropping weekly.
The last book I read…
Simultaneously devoured Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh and Earthlings by Sayaka Murata.
I am currently reading…
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld.
My favourite book…
How To End A Story by Helen Garner.
View this post on Instagram
My actual favourite book…
Looking For Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta.
The character I most identify with is…
Teenage me is Josephine Alibrandi in Looking For Alibrandi and current me identifies with the various dark witted women in Nada Alic’s Bad Thoughts.
The book that changed my life is…
The Practice by Seth Godin.
The best book I ever received is…
Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed.
The book I would give as a gift is…
Bliss Montage by Ling Ma.
View this post on Instagram
My childhood favourite book…
Matilda by Roald Dahl.
My favourite writer is…
What an impossible question! Helen Garner, Banana Yoshimoto and Sheila Heti.
The cookbook I've used the most is...
East by Meera Sodha and Salad Freak by Jess Damuck.
The book everyone should read at least once is…
Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed. There’s laughs, heartache and wisdom on every page.
