Reckoning: A Memoir (Magda Szubanski, Text)

Magda Szubanski is one of Australia’s best-known comedians but what’s less known is her interesting family history. Her father, who fought in the Polish resistance, lived with the scars of World War II for his entire life—scars that were passed down to his children and that Szubanski, now 54, is learning how to overcome. Her memoir, Reckoning, is part of this healing process, and she deploys the razor sharpness of her sketch comedy into this largely serious, psychoanalytical book. Reckoning shares a kinship with another Text Publishing release from earlier in 2015, Ramona Koval’s Bloodhound, which also tackled the atrocities of World War II, European migration and intergenerational trauma. From her childhood in suburban Melbourne to her ancestral pilgrimages overseas and her public battles with her weight and sexuality, Reckoning covers a lot of ground. There are moments where it feels like she’s trying to cram too much into the story, but this large scope also allows for interesting side notes, most notably Szubanski’s close friendships with female comedians Gina Riley and Jane Turner, and their uphill battle to be taken seriously on Australian television. Reckoning is a reminder that behind every comedian lies some sadness.

Emily Laidlaw is a Melbourne-based writer and editor