I loved this book!
This is a memoir with artistic license, as Nour himself points out in the Author’s Note at the front of this work. What follows is an entertaining array of stories from his life. These anecdotes are from the point of view of a closeted Australian born man with Egyptian heritage, although he’s not closeted now.
I knew a younger gay man once who had Arabic heritage, and Nour’s account of growing up in that culture matched my friend’s. Elements of what a family expects, keeping up appearances even if the reasons lack sense, and making sure your siblings don’t embarrass the family, are similar. But there is also a lot of love for culture in this memoir.
I was also impressed with the author’s prose.
There’s a tongue-in-cheek melancholy in his writing. And while many Australian references may not translate, the personal accounts of feeling different yet not knowing why, will hit home with queer readers. Nour becomes a spokesperson against equal marriage, but also re-imagines wearing a pretty dress to his graduation – the complexity of being part of a culture which won’t accept you so you secretly find ways to accept yourself.
When I read autobiographies written by people younger than myself, I often find anecdotes which make me wonder how that author will view the same memory several decades on. I have often reflected on events from my past in a new light as time passes.
This is not the case here.
The stories are told with the emotion of the time, without reflection. This is what makes them universal – we’re in the moment and not in the past. In a way, this is the reflection, especially in the way Nour uses his words to finish a chapter.
For me, this was a five star read.
kevin klehr 