Finding My Bella Vita: A story of family, food, fame and working out who you are

by Pia Miranda

For years Pia Miranda has been stopped in the street by calls of, 'Found you!', forever linked to that character we all loved: Josie from Looking for Alibrandi. But playing Josie is only one small part of everything that has shaped the woman Pia has become.

As a child, her Nonna would tell her stories of the small volcanic island off Sicily she called home. Cannoli, curses and lighting a candle at church were as much a part of Pia's childhood as mouse plagues, her Aussie Nanna's lemon slice and cheering on South Melbourne at the footy with her Grandfather.

After chasing a childhood dream to become a ballet dancer (with a back-up plan of becoming a nun) she was cruelly shamed out of her leotard and into a new dream: acting. The rollercoaster ride of fame would see her travel the world and narrowly avoid a sky-high #MeToo moment. But after fame comes real life - work stress, career questions, money worries, relationships and heartbreak, love and marriage, illness and grief. Having grown up pinballing between her very Italian side and her very Australian side while trying to carve out a space all her own, Pia didn't realise how the push and pull of tradition had made her world all the richer.

Finally, setting foot on Vulcano to reconnect with her roots, Pia understands how all the parts of herself have made her the true survivor she is. Like her Nonna told her, every day on top of the earth is a good day.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Biography, Audiobook

270 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 27, 2023

Reviews

[Olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read and studied Looking for Alibrandi in year 10 so of course I had to pick this book up when I saw it in Target. I enjoyed reading about Pia's life and found the memoir very easy to follow along.

[ariana · Rating 3 out of 5]

it fit the brief of a mawkish, self-aware memoir with smatterings of curiosities

[Kat (IG: bookish_kat_reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Finding My Bella Vita’ is Pia Miranda's candid journey from her rise to fame as Josie in ‘Looking for Alibrandi’ to the rollercoaster of her real-life adventures. Growing up herself with Italian and Australian influences, she dreamed of ballet and even being a nun! But fate led her to acting, with all its highs and lows. Beyond fame, she shares the messy bits of life – work stress, love, loss, and grappling with her identity. Returning to her roots on Vulcano, she rediscovers herself amid cannoli and Vegemite toast, realizing that love and family, along with embracing her heritage, are what truly matter.

As someone who grew up in Australia in the 90’s and being a massive fan of ‘Looking for Alibrandi’ (both book and movie) I was really keen to read this memoir. I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about Pia Miranda’s life, her Italian heritage, and experiences in the entertainment industry. Miranda’s writing was open, down to earth, and honest in a way that made her feel familiar and highly relatable.

Unexpectedly I also really enjoyed reading about her time on Australian Survivor (she won the 2019 season, Champions vs. Contenders). As a fan of the original US seasons reading about her experience made me want to go back and start watching again.

Overall, this was a lovely, nostalgic, easy-to-read memoir which I very much enjoyed and would recommend.

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[Giulia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Growing up in Australia with an Italian family, Melina Marchetta's "Looking for Alibrandi" was one of the first books that I read as a teenager that felt truly personal. Naturally I also became a huge fan of the film, and by extension, Pia Miranda. I fell in love with her all over again when she competed in (and won) Australian Survivor: Champions versus Contenders in 2019.

Now reading her memoir: Finding for my Bella Vita feels completely full circle. I adored learning about her grandparents first meeting, their love story and their journey to Australia. Although it made me feel sad that I didn't know more details about my own grandparents similar journey. From her grandparents working on a farm in Tatura, to Pia's ballet training, to wishing she spoke better Italian, I felt so many connections to Pia's experience growing up and her relationships with her family.

I enjoyed learning more details about Pia's experience getting the role of Josie Alibrandi, and furthermore the experiences that occurred due to the success of the film (both good and bad). I found her owngoing relationship with Melinda Marchetta so heartwarming. I also really enjoyed getting even more details about what we didnt see on her season of Survivor, particularly as someone who watched the show with keen interest at the time.

Finally the book gave me hope that it's not too late to "go home": to travel back to the places our family members once lived and rekindle connections with loved ones we have lost.

[Denita · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was in part a beautiful tribute to Pia's family mainly the Italian side but also her fame with the role of "Josie" which is what many people remember her for and being on the reality show "Survivor". There is so much more though in this memoir of which I truly loved reading. There were many laugh out loud moments as well as tears. It is a beautifully written book.

[Shirley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this as an audiobook while riding​ on the exercise bike each day and it was an enjoyable listen. I have to admit I didn’t now much about Pia other than her being in Looking for Alibrandi and being on Australian Survivor, so I learnt a lot of her, from the history of her family, her growing up and getting into acting and then pre and post Survivor life.

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Does what it says on the packet in a pleasantly unsurprising style.

[Kelly Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this. Pia Miranda is so down to earth and this book reflects her deep connection to family.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Pia was such a huge prescence during my adolescence, she will always be with me as Josie so it was really lovely to read about her life outside of Looking for Alibrandi (although there’s a strong amount of detail relevant to this portion of her life). Her brush with Weinstein (thank goodness for Scacchi!) and her deep dive into her Survivor journey were incredibly interesting. A really lovely memoir that was truly wonderful to listen to.

[Tanya C.B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amiable enough autobiography that’s charming but lacks insight, along with certain critical details that would have enhanced the narrative. Miranda just sort of skims along the top of the events of her life, which is fine but doesn’t make for an impactful read. (There’s also a couple of editing miffs but I don’t blame the writer for this.) Despite these niggles it was a fun and breezy read all up. Pia Miranda is a lovely person to spend time with on the page and she comes across well.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always loved and adored Pia ever since I saw "Looking for Alibrandi" and after this book, I am overflowing with love and admiration. Pia is such a beautiful soul and I hope for many more years to come she keeps doing things that make her happy. So proud of you Pia 😘.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not a big reader of memoirs 🫢 I think I’ve read three in the last three years
#tenstepstonanette Hannah Gadsby #thewonderoflittlethings Vince Copley #thehappiestmanonearth Eddie Jaku
(Which are all fabulous).
They have to really demand my attention and I was so excited to see @piamirandas ‘’Finding my Bella Vita’ - sorry Harry and Britney, maybe next time.
Pia has just always felt so familiar. It’s the Looking for Alibrandi nostalgia. A coming of age story that we read ourselves on the precipice of adulthood.
And then when the movie came out it was just perfection. It was so respectful of the story, the settings, the characters. Book version Josie Alibrandi was so beloved that there would have been a lot of pressure to fill those shoes. Pia portrayed such an authentic Josie, full of energy and fierceness; the perfect mix of drive and vulnerability.
It’s a movie I’ve watched so many times and it now encompasses that teenage innocence that we get to revisit whenever we watch it. Literally months ago a girlfriend messaged the group chat ‘Alibrandis on TV!’.
So yes I was always going to read this.
Her memoir covers her Sicilian
Heritage with the story of her paternal grandparents before moving through her own story. Her ‘childhood wasn’t all dabbling in exorcisms followed by excellent Italian food.’ There’s some ballet.
A lot about body image.
The power of words.
The importance of family.
The challenges of negotiating an acting career.
A near miss in a private jet.
Self confidence.
It also covers her absolute Queen role, dominating Australian survivor ‘Champions vs Contenders’.
We watched it and I remember her saying in episode one ‘if I can just get through the first tribal council then I can win this thing’ and both my husband and I were like ‘yeah she will’. Brava. Doing it for the socially smart, but physically less able 40 something mumma bears who’ve spent years putting everyone else first.
A fabulous read 👏👏

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

After a couple of heavy books, I was looking something lite and easy to read and this memoir fit the bill. I thoroughly enjoyed the first third of the book about her life growing up among mostly her Italian relatives and how that formed the core of her being. Ms Miranda was a bit of a nerd and thoroughly engrossed in ballet while young. That training put her in good stead when it came to her eventual acting career. I also could relate to her many rejections at try outs and how she handled them. Her carping on about Survivor and her appearance on the Australian version was a bit of a turn off. I was happy for her and her family that she won, but couldn't relate to what he says she went through. Having read a lengthy interview with the producer of the original US Survivor, where he stated in answer to a question: certainly the show is scripted - 100% and we even have selected who the winner will be before we start filming albeit without that person knowing. So Pia lost me with her raving about her experience. Her relating of trips back to Italy and reconnecting with her roots were also a highlight of the book. I hadn't ever seen Looking for Alibrandi til this point, but watched it on ABC iView the night I finished the book.

[MrsGsLibrary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Finding My Bella Vita’. I have been a long time Pia Miranda fan and I loved reading about her life, especially about her Italian heritage and her experiences in the entertainment industry. I enjoyed reading the Italian sayings, proverbs and other quotes at the commencement of each chapter…it was a lovely way of setting the tone for what was ahead.

Like most Australian/Italian teenagers, I absolutely loved ‘Looking for Alibrandi’. Pia and Josie provided us with a character we could finally relate to! It was lovely to read about how this movie impacted on Pia’s life.

Sadly I never got into ‘Survivor’ (…although I now want to binge watch the 2019 season) but my girls and I are total ‘Dancing with the Stars’ fans and loved watching Pia compete in the 2023 season.

Pia, thank you for opening up and sharing your story. I especially value the information you shared about your family’s history with autoimmune diseases. I value your honesty and insight into the Australian and American entertainment industry. My daughter is just about to commence a Bachelor of Performance and Theatre and I have encouraged her to read your book - it is such a gem.

[Okimura1170 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book when thinking about the 2000 film Looking for Alibrandi and what happened after for the female star Pia Miranda......I loved the first part where Pia relates how her nonna(grandma) found love then war in a remote part of Sicily, and how after the war - in a time of great privation in Italy - brought herself and the kids (incl. Pia's father) to Australia, and then the cultural milieu of the 50's and 60's in Australia....it was a different time.
The pace is lively, and many snippets are shared including how precarious an acting life is even for a AFI best actress award winner.
Must read if at all interested in post ww2 Australia and growing up culturally different in the 70's 80's on Oz.

[Kalliste · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with most people, I recognise Pia Miranda from Looking for Alibrandi. When I first saw the movie, I didn't like that she didn't look the way I expected from the description of the book. After reading Finding My Bella Vita though, I don't know that anyone else could have played Josie. There are so many similarities between her life and Josie's.

This memoir feels real, honest. It shows the ups and downs of being a teenager in the 80s and 90s as well as in ballet/dance and acting. Such as sucking on chocolate and spitting it out so you don't get the calories. Also, showed that being an Australian actor is hard and you will probably have a second job.

Really enjoyed it, and now I want to go and see all of Pia's roles that I missed out on.

[Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED This book. I came out feeling like I’d made a new friend as Pia takes the reader on an intimate and heart-felt journey through her life, her learnings and her emotions around family, friends, food, fame and culture to ultimately try and work out what matters (Spoiler Alert - Love).

I loved the honesty in Pia’s stories - some of them quite extraordinary (the Weinstein near miss!!), but most of all I was taken aback by how hilarious she is (contrary to some casting agent in L.A’s opinion).

Thank you Pia for sharing your ups and downs. I’m actually going to miss you now this book is finished!

[Ruthie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely amazing! Loved every page of this memoir - honest, truthful and a wonderful insight into a person who I admired as an actress. Particularly, as Josie Alibrandi (loved the Looking for Alibrandi film) but honestly did not know much about her beyond this. This book is wonderfully honest in how she reminisces about her childhood and growing up (Italian and Australian), food, her start into acting (and ballet), and then onwards to her family and of course being in Survivor. She seems like such a genuine and kind person and this shows in her writing. Absolutely brilliant!

[Tamara Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars because Pia is a delightful human

I really really enjoyed this book, and particularly liked the audio book version. Pia’s telling of the stories were heartfelt and filled with humour and joy.
It was an easy listen / read with nothing super deep or traumatic like you often find in biographies. My only negative was that I wanted more.

[Rachael Goncalves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh I loved it well done Pia! I could relate to the book so much as my parents migrated with my grandparents when they were young children from Sicily and Italy too and I had a very similar experience growing up. Found this to be a really easy and enjoyable read. Congrats Pia!

[Jodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice easy memoir to read with insights into the different periods of Pia’s life, including the journey of her grandparents to Australia. Highlighted significant points in her life including moving around as a child, dance, Looking for Alibrandi, health concerns and Survivor. Fun, enjoyable read.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three and a half stars.

[Laura Tooley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy and honest read. Loved Pia sharing her vulnerability and fears.

[Barbara Burstall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable and surprising and interesting.

[Annelise Gavrielatos · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this autobiography, was interesting to get to know her a little better

[Olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was curious to read about Pia Miranda's life because I studied "Looking for Alibrandi" in year 8 English at school. The book felt very intimate and almost like you were chatting with a friend. Overall, I enjoyed it

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars for enjoyment and for taking me back to my childhood with my beloved Nonna!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed Pia in Looking for Alibrandi, so I was very excited and interested to read her book when I was told that she had lived in my hometown. The book was a very easy read, and it really gave an insight into some of the hardships and experiences she endured over her life, however I do feel like each topic was very rushed and there wasn't an intense amount of detail for each stage of her life. I was kind of left feeling like I had a lot of questions and much of her story timeline was a bit over the place with missing links.
I do feel in her book there was some resentment about only being famous for being Josie and nothing much else, however I couldn't name any of her other movies, so it seems as though she may be sad in a way that she never made it to superstardom. I could be very wrong though, but that's just how some of the book content translates.

[Leon Ha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Growing up and attending school in Australia, Looking for Alibrandi is a book and a movie I learned in class, so I am excited to pick up Pia Miranda’s memoir, to get to know the woman behind Josie, the parallel that exists between both Pia and Josie, and her wonderful journey in life thus far. There are pockets of stories that made you shed tears, some are pure joy to read and some are brutally honest. After all, this is what life is all about. Highly recommend this book and at last, Viva Italia!

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a book to read about 'Josie'. That's literally what I kept picturing as I read this book. But I loved the way Pia told her story and still kept the things she wanted private, private. I enjoyed every word, every pages of this book. She really let her walls down when she spoke about what it was like trying to get acting roles, or when she was learning ballet. She is definitely a great Aussie even if she is part Italian!