The author has Egyptian heritage, emigrating here as a child. Her father (Baba) nurtures his Egyptian roots; her mother (Mama) and grandmother (Nana) seek to leave Egypt behind. In this memoir, Sara is caught somewhere between too brown (muddy) and Muslim to fit in with her school friends, yet far enough removed from Egypt that she forgets prayers in her mother tongue.

She is nicknamed ‘Soos’ by the family because of her sweet tooth, which means ‘cavity’ in Arabic. The name also works metaphorically. There are various holes in Soos’ life: her parents’ deteriorating marriage, the lack of friends and the gaps between her upbringing and that of her Aussie friends.

The narrative switches between past and present. Chapters headed ‘Rules’ deal with the past. Most of these are carryovers from her father’s strong Islamic faith; most deal with relationships with the opposite sex. It seems most things are haram (forbidden).

The relationship with her father is strained, but she is with him in the present as he undergoes chemotherapy. Baba’s ‘favourite’ is Mohamed, the eldest and only boy. He can do no wrong. (Soos thinks she – as a female – can do no right.) Aisha, as the youngest, is spoilt.

Mama retrains to practise as a doctor. The need for her to spend hours as an intern away from the family in Brisbane causes further rifts.

There’s a candid honesty in the revelation of Soos’ embarrassing teenage years. Despite the obvious trauma of her upbringing, the narrative has a wonderful dry humour to it. El Sayed’s use of imagery, and the neatness with which she weaves these images into the narrative, is an indication of exquisite skill.

Reviewed by Bob Moore