“By turns heartfelt, bitingly funny, and emotionally devastating, Muddy People is not your average coming-of-age tale. I loved this memoir of a young Egyptian-Australian girl growing up Muslim. It's a clear-eyed, fierce debut; every word rings true.”—Nadine Jolie Courtney, author of All-American Muslim Girl

A quick, clever debut that is “like the best kind of cake: warm, sweet, a bit nutty—and made with so much love.”—Alice Pung, author of Unpolished Gem

Sara is growing up in a family with a lot of rules. Her mother tells her she’s not allowed to wear a bikini, her father tells her she’s not allowed to drink alcohol, and her grandmother tells her to never trust a man with her money.

After leaving Egypt when Sara was only six years old, her family slowly learns how to navigate the social dynamics of their new home. Sara feels out of place in her new school. Her father refuses to buy his coworkers a ginger beer, thinking it contains alcohol. Her mother refuses to wear a hijab, even if it would help them connect with other local Muslims. And Sara learns what it feels like to have a crush on a boy, that some classmates are better friends than others, and that her parents are loving, but flawed people who don't always know what's best for her, despite being her strongest defenders.

For readers of Patricia Lockwood’s Priestdaddy and Michelle Zauner’s Crying in H Mart, this heartwarming book about family and identity introduces a compelling new voice, with a coming-of-age story that will speak to everyone who’s ever struggled to figure out where they belong.

Sara El Sayed's profile page

Sara El Sayed is a writer and Sessional Academic working at the Queensland University of Technology. Sara is a current recipient of a Queensland Writers Fellowship and was shortlisted for the 2020 Queensland Premier's Young Publishers and Writers Award and the 2019 Richell Prize for Emerging Writers. She lives in Brisbane, Australia.

“Heartwarming, humorous … About growing up as an outsider and reckoning with privilege, Muddy People is a touching memoir by a woman who made a life of her own while still reflecting on her family’s wishes.”
—Foreword Reviews

“In this sparkling debut, El Sayed delivers a heartfelt tribute to her family via the story of her experience living as an immigrant in Australia.”
—Publishers Weekly

“Muddy People is a reflection of moving between the lines that are drawn for us—as children, as girls, as migrants—as we come of age.”
—The Guardian

“An important portrayal of growing self-determination.”
—The Saturday Paper

“Big-hearted, sweetly funny, and vulnerable, Sara El Sayed’s Muddy People chronicles growing up in an Egyptian Muslim immigrant family. El Sayed’s colorful and witty stories of culture shock, first crushes, and brutal incidents with racism will affect readers deeply. A delightful and moving debut.”
—Lindsay Wong, author of The Woo-Woo and My Summer of Love And Misfortune

“Beyond her delightful style, I laughed and eye-rolled in complete understanding of the stories she tells of her immigrant family; and the struggles—not unlike mine, of being an Arab immigrant in a Western nation, straddling two opposing cultures in an attempt to emerge with your own voice and identity. [...] El Sayed’s voice is a much-needed addition to the conversation we must all be having right now.”
—Ayser Salman, author of The Wrong End of the Table

“By turns heartfelt, bitingly funny, and emotionally devastating, Muddy People is not your average coming-of-age tale. I loved this memoir of a young Egyptian-Australian girl growing up Muslim. It's a clear-eyed, fierce debut; every word rings true.”
—Nadine Jolie Courtney, author of All-American Muslim Girl

“Funny, gutsy, and full of heart, Sara El Sayed swings open the door to her fiery, lovable family and invites us into the life of a Muslim girl growing up in a home where traditions and rules are sacred and ready to be broken.”
—Carla Funk, author of Mennonite Valley Girl and Every Little Scrap and Wonder

“Written with elegant lyricism, compelling urgency and a dark sense of humour, Muddy People is an impressive debut [that] reflects El Sayed’s journey of self-realisation, of understanding what it means to be a migrant millennial.”—Books+Publishing

“It takes courage to write a memoir, but more than that it takes heart, and Sara El Sayed’s heart is generous and expansive. I gasped in recognition, I teared up in solidarity and I exhaled in relief—finally, a personal story that reflects so much that is familiar but is rarely found on bookshelves … Sara El Sayed has written a book both confident and delicate that will leave you eagerly await- ing her next. Read this!”
—Mona Eltahawy, author of The Seven Necessary Sins for Women and Girls

“A nuanced, engaging and lyrical account of what it means to be Other in Australia, with impeccably drawn characters. Sara El Sayed is an enchanting and refreshing new voice in the Australian literary landscape.”
—Maxine Beneba Clarke, author of The Hate Race

“A beautifully told story of parents and children, pain and loss, and the love that binds people together. Told with real heart and charm, it will keep you riveted from the first page.”
—Rohan Wilson, author of The Roving Party

“Fresh, vibrant and dynamic. This is the kind of mud that will dirty your hands and cleanse your spirit.”
—Michael Mohammed Ahmad, author of The Lebs

“Both cosmopolitan and Australian at the same time, Muddy People is like the best kind of cake: warm, sweet, a bit nutty—and made with so much love.”
—Alice Pung, author of Unpolished Gem

“A tender and vulnerable debut from a rising star in Australian literature.”
—Readings Monthly

a reflection of moving between the lines that are drawn for us—as children, as girls, as migrants—as we come of age.”
—The Guardian

“An important portrayal of growing self-determination.”
—The Saturday Paper

“Big-hearted, sweetly funny, and vulnerable, Sara El Sayed’s Muddy People chronicles growing up in an Egyptian Muslim immigrant family. El Sayed’s colorful and witty stories of culture shock, first crushes, and brutal incidents with racism will affect readers deeply. A delightful and moving debut.”
—Lindsay Wong, author of The Woo-Woo and My Summer of Love And Misfortune

“Beyond her delightful style, I laughed and eye-rolled in complete understanding of the stories she tells of her immigrant family; and the struggles—not unlike mine, of being an Arab immigrant in a Western nation, straddling two opposing cultures in an attempt to emerge with your own voice and identity. [...] El Sayed’s voice is a much-needed addition to the conversation we must all be having right now.”
—Ayser Salman, author of The Wrong End of the Table

“By turns heartfelt, bitingly funny, and emotionally devastating, Muddy People is not your average coming-of-age tale. I loved this memoir of a young Egyptian-Australian girl growing up Muslim. It's a clear-eyed, fierce debut; every word rings true.”
—Nadine Jolie Courtney, author of All-American Muslim Girl

“Funny, gutsy, and full of heart, Sara El Sayed swings open the door to her fiery, lovable family and invites us into the life of a Muslim girl growing up in a home where traditions and rules are sacred and ready to be broken.”
—Carla Funk, author of Mennonite Valley Girl and Every Little Scrap and Wonder

“Written with elegant lyricism, compelling urgency and a dark sense of humour, Muddy People is an impressive debut [that] reflects El Sayed’s journey of self-realisation, of understanding what it means to be a migrant millennial.”
—Books+Publishing

“It takes courage to write a memoir, but more than that it takes heart, and Sara El Sayed’s heart is generous and expansive. I gasped in recognition, I teared up in solidarity and I exhaled in relief—finally, a personal story that reflects so much that is familiar but is rarely found on bookshelves … Sara El Sayed has written a book both confident and delicate that will leave you eagerly await- ing her next. Read this!”
—Mona Eltahawy, author of The Seven Necessary Sins for Women and Girls

“A nuanced, engaging and lyrical account of what it means to be Other in Australia, with impeccably drawn characters. Sara El Sayed is an enchanting and refreshing new voice in the Australian literary landscape.”
—Maxine Beneba Clarke, author of The Hate Race

“A beautifully told story of parents and children, pain and loss, and the love that binds people together. Told with real heart and charm, it will keep you riveted from the first page.”
—Rohan Wilson, author of The Roving Party

“Fresh, vibrant and dynamic. This is the kind of mud that will dirty your hands and cleanse your spirit.”
—Michael Mohammed Ahmad, author of The Lebs

“Both cosmopolitan and Australian at the same time, Muddy People is like the best kind of cake: warm, sweet, a bit nutty—and made with so much love.”
—Alice Pung, author of Unpolished Gem

“A tender and vulnerable debut from a rising star in Australian literature.”
—Readings Monthly