BOOK REVIEW: How to Dodge Flying Sandals

Daniel Nour's debut memoir blends humour, heart and cultural reflection into a thoughtful coming-of-age story about identity, family and belonging, writes Jenny England.

IF THERE IS ONE THING a debut memoir needs these days to entice readers, it’s a catchy title.

How to Dodge Flying Sandals by Daniel Nour certainly has one. It instantly draws you in and you instantly want to know more.

Daniel's collection of early life experiences is told as a series of 37 short “how-to” advice chapters created from snapshots of his life. These range from the profound ‘How to Die’ to the many more mundane experiences such as ‘How to Float’ and ‘How to Dance’. Each chapter explores several elements of his development into adulthood as part of his unique coming-of-age journey. I especially enjoyed his use of just as much detail as necessary to bring each experience to life on the page.

In this thoughtful memoir, he sensitively approaches the issue of growing up as the only son of an Egyptian-Australian family in Sydney straddling two cultures, with warmth and humour. He relates how he eventually came to find peace and acceptance as a gay individual living and thriving in a complex, multicultural Australian world.

In the three-part ‘How to Go Back to Your Roots’ (including ‘Departures’, ‘Wander along the Nile’ and ‘Supreme Council of the Armed Forces’), Daniel shares his journey to his homeland, Egypt, in the effort to understand and incorporate everything about it into his distinctly different life in Australia. The last chapter, ‘How to Pay Your Dues’, is a thank-you to all those in his sphere who have helped him become who he is today.

Daniel Nour is no stranger to writing. His work as a journalist has appeared in many respected journals such as the Meanjin Quarterly and Eureka Street. In 2020, he won the NSW Premier's Young Journalist of the Year award. He is also a member of the Sweatshop Literacy Movement, which is supported by the Australian Government through Creative Australia.

Still relatively young, Daniel has a full, interesting writing career ahead of him. My thoughts on this are echoed in the words of a recommendation letter he received after a stint of work experience at 2SSRFM calling him ‘a bright and promising young man with a big career ahead of him’, but with the addition of ‘dresses poorly’, giving the reader another small clue to his quirky personality (p 70).

A great read, one experience and insight at a time. I’m sure there is more to come.

How to Dodge Flying Sandals is available from Simon & Schuster Australia.

This book was reviewed by an IA Book Club member. If you would like to receive free high-quality books and have your review published on IA, subscribe to receive your complimentary IA Book Club membership.