Looking for Alibrandi: Chapter 6 Summary & Analysis

Over the weekend, Nonna hosts a family barbecue. Josie spends most of the time in the pool wrestling with Robert. Michael Andretti is at the barbecue, too. At one point, Josie sees Mama and Michael go inside. Josie gets out of the pool and sits on the step to listen in. Michael and Mama are arguing—Michael spits that he doesn’t want Josie, and he’s not going to pretend he does. She’s just a “complication.” Trembling, Ma tells Michael to get married and have kids and warns him that he won’t get another chance to get to know Josie.

Then, Mama shares that Nonna doesn’t know Michael is Josie’s father. Mama says that she regrets nothing, but she pities Michael for not knowing Josie. Michael asks if Mama needs money, which seems to offend Mama even more. Unwilling to listen anymore, Josie returns to the pool. Later, though, she notices Nonna staring between Mama, Michael, and her. Nonna seems to have put it together that Michael is Josie’s father.

When Michael goes back inside a bit later, Josie follows him. She watches him study photos and knickknacks in Nonna’s sitting room. When he sits down, Josie notices he has dimples—which enrages her, since she didn’t inherit his dimples or Mama’s high cheekbones. She surprises Michael and says that Nonna doesn’t like it when people sit in the living room during barbecues. When he nods and starts to leave the room, she scornfully tells him to say something.

Michael asks what Josie wants to hear, but Josie doesn’t know—she just doesn’t want him to ignore her or be polite. She admits that she expected they’d both tap into their “Italian emotion” and scream at each other. Josie continues to angrily berate Michael for ruining Mama’s life, while he remains calm. When he finally insists she’s gone too far, she asks if he’s really going to discipline her like a father. They agree to shake hands and never see each other again—though secretly, Josie wants to see him again.

Back at home in front of the TV later that night, Mama asks Josie about Michael. Josie tries to ignore the question, but then says that she and Michael were very clear that they didn’t want to see each other again. Mama insists that it’s Michael’s loss. Josie asks Mama what she wanted her life to be like when she was 17, before Josie was born. Josie says she wants to fall in love with someone rich and have two kids. Mama says she wanted to marry someone who loved her and have four little girls. She admits that at the time, she wanted to marry Michael.