Meet Daniel Nour: Egyptian and Australian; loud and painfully awkward; conservative and very confused (especially about other boys). He’s never quite pulled off normal, but ‘not-normal’ is where the best stories are. Now he’s made his peace with that and is ready to share his wisdom in this highly unreliable ethnic memoir.
Told as a series of snapshots from Daniel’s life – from ‘How to Be Born’ to ‘How to Die’ and everything in between – this is a sharply funny tale of culture, family and trying, but not always managing, to come of age.
Review
It’s flagged from the start that How to Dodge Flying Sandals is more about an emotional truth rather than facts. It’s in the branding of the memoir as ‘highly unreliable’ and in the author’s note that precedes the story. I was intrigued, especially in the light of the discourse around The Salt Path recently, and as I read on, I think this disclaimer really serves the book well. There are details that likely were heightened for comedic or dramatic effects, but I was less focused on these and more of the overall emotions. Daniel’s confusion about his sexuality, the sometimes (or often) suffocating pressure of religious and cultural expectations, and the love in his family (even when they’re a lot) – these feelings were evident on the page.
One of the memoir’s strengths is the depiction of the people in Daniel’s life: the main characters (particularly his parents) are shown in all of their eccentricities and vulnerabilities; it’s written with humour, and never meanly. You cringe alongside Daniel in some of the stories, but you also get to understand what drives them. Through this, you also get to understand Daniel and the choices he makes in first denying and then exploring his individuality.
The book is told in a series of vignettes, which have its benefits and drawbacks. The structure allows for a loose timeline, which adds to the focus being on the emotional themes rather than on mapping out Daniel’s life in years. However, sometimes the chapters felt disjointed; it feels sometimes that you could dip in and out of the book or even choose which vignettes you want to read, which means the snapshots didn’t always flow from one to the next.
Being a Catholic, Chinese-Indonesian migrant, there are parts of Daniel’s cultural and religious backgrounds that are relatable to me, like the church, the intense extended family, the parental expectations, and (a delightful surprise when I recognised it) ‘the slap of the wind’ – a similar concept exists in Indonesia. That relatability isn’t a pre-requisite to enjoying this book; Daniel’s writing helps you understand and empathise.
Overall, How to Dodge Flying Sandals is an emotionally engaging and funny read. I’d argue that you should read the book especially if you have little in common with Daniel’s experiences but are curious and want to understand. After all, what is reading for if not to foster some empathy?
Thank you to Affirm Press who provided a copy of the novel in exchange for a review.
Review by Priscilla
Has Novel Feelings entertained you, or taught you something? Show your support with a once-off donation by buying us a coffee. All proceeds go towards making the show stronger and more sustainable for the future.
Novel Feelings 