The author includes at intervals in the plot conversations between Josephine and her Grandmother. These allow the reader to enter into Josephine's discoveries regarding her Grandmother. During one of these talks with her Grandmother, the young girl learns how hard life was for migrants in Australia.

Nonna Katia tells Josephine how hard it was for her being in the middle of an unknown country with nobody who spoke the same language as her. Furthermore she tells of her encounters with hardships such as snakes coming into the house! She says to Josephine on page 114, "You do not know how much I hated Australia for the first year. No friends. No people who spoke the same language as me.. they were not the good old days, Jozzie."

Through the discovery of her Grandmother's pa

The Rauber family, mentioned in the article, would have experienced much the same trials as Nonna Katia experienced when she came to Australia with her husband.

Probably the most important discovery Josephine Alibrandi makes in the novel is about her own multiculturalism. On page 234 she describes the confusion she felt when kids in primary school used to ask her what her nationality was. If she said she was an Italian they would tell her she was an Australian because of where she was born and if she said she was an Australian they would tell her she was a 'wog' because of what she looked like. She writes, "and I wanted to kill myself because I was so confused.

Because of the similarity of conditions in which Mrs V grew up in compared to Josephine's upbringing, many of the cultural, social and religious practices were done by both their families, for example "tomato day". Also because of these similarities, Mrs Vanaria faced many of the same difficulties that Josephine faced.

2. "No sex please, we're waiting" - non-literary magazine article from the Australian, New Idea, January 1999.

1. "Dream life in Australia turns sour for migrants" - non-literary, newspaper article from The Age, March 1992.

Some common words found in the essay are:
Nonna Katia, John Barton, Janis Ian, Jacob Coote, Oodgeroo Noonucal, Josephine Alibrandi, Michael Andretti, American Sicilian, Australian Italian, Looking Alibrandi, sexual relationships, discovery josephine, janis ian, social standing, josephine discovers, australian italian, australian italian blood, italian blood, josephine alibrandi, jacob coote, josephine's discovery, italian blood flowing, rapidly veins i'll, veins i'll pride, social standing wealth,
Approximate Word count = 2808
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page double spaced)