This Is What America Looks Like: My Journey from Refugee to Congresswoman

by Ilhan Omar

An intimate and rousing memoir by progressive trailblazer Ilhan Omar—the first African refugee, the first Somali-American, and one of the first Muslim women, elected to Congress.

Ilhan Omar was only eight years old when war broke out in Somalia. The youngest of seven children, her mother had died while Ilhan was still a little girl. She was being raised by her father and grandfather when armed gunmen attacked their compound and the family decided to flee Mogadishu. They ended up in a refugee camp in Kenya, where Ilhan says she came to understand the deep meaning of hunger and death. Four years later, after a painstaking vetting process, her family achieved refugee status and arrived in Arlington, Virginia.

Aged twelve, penniless, speaking only Somali and having missed out on years of schooling, Ilhan rolled up her sleeves, determined to find her American dream. Faced with the many challenges of being an immigrant and a refugee, she questioned stereotypes and built bridges with her classmates and in her community. In under two decades she became a grassroots organizer, graduated from college and was elected to congress with a record-breaking turnout by the people of Minnesota—ready to keep pushing boundaries and restore moral clarity in Washington D.C.

A beacon of positivity in dark times, Congresswoman Omar has weathered many political storms and yet maintained her signature grace, wit and love of country—all the while speaking up for her beliefs. Similarly, in chronicling her remarkable personal journey, Ilhan is both lyrical and unsentimental, and her irrepressible spirit, patriotism, friendship and faith are visible on every page. As a result, This is What America Looks Like is both the inspiring coming of age story of a refugee and a multidimensional tale of the hopes and aspirations, disappointments and failures, successes, sacrifices and surprises, of a devoted public servant with unshakable faith in the promise of America. 

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Politics, Biography, Audiobook, History, Biography Memoir

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 26, 2020

About the author

Ilhan Abdullahi Omar, along with Rashida Tlaib was one of the first two Muslim women to serve in the United States Congress.

Reviews

[Will Byrnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a particularly tiny child, so anyone who didn’t know me assumed I was a coward. The runt who always got bullied at school. But I wasn’t afraid of fighting. I felt like I was bigger and stronger than everyone else—even if I knew that wasn’t really the case.

Ilhan Omar arrived in the United states at age twelve. She and her family members were refugees from Somalia. Omar attended her first political caucus at fourteen, (acting as an interpreter for her grandfather) became a citizen at seventeen, a representative in the Minnesota House of Representatives at thirty-four and a Representative to the United States Congress at thirty-six. She established a couple of firsts in Minnesota, first Somali-American and first naturalized citizen from Africa to be elected to office, and she is one of the first two Muslim women elected to the national House of Representatives. Considering where she began, it is remarkable that she has been able to achieve as much as she has.


Representative Ilhan Omar - Image from The New Yorker

This is What America Looks Like is Omar’s charming, very readable memoir, of her early life in Somalia, the immigration travails her family endured in trying to reach the United States, the adjustments she had to make in adapting to her new home, becoming an American, getting an education, finding a calling in public service and political activism, and working her way into the United States Congress. It is a classic rags-to-riches (well, not entirely, but more on that in a bit) story of someone who, with some help, pulled herself up by her bootstraps, made a home, and has done everything she can to make the district she represents and her new country a better place.


The board outside Omar’s Congressional office - Image from RollCall.com

The book opens with a very charming tale of how constituents, and supporters from across the world covered the nameplate outside her office with Post-it notes carrying words of support. This caused a brief run-in with building maintenance, as, even with her staff relocating these messages to a space inside her office, the board kept filling up with new ones.

This is an excellent omen, an accurate predictor of what a lovely read this book is. Not all fluff, of course. Much of what Omar writes about is deadly serious, but this is not a political tract. It really is about her life before her public service, and what made her the person she is now, chronicling the challenges she had to overcome to be in a position to do some good on a national level. One challenge was having to learn English. In her interview with Elle Magazine, she was asked about the particular show she watched that helped her master the language.

The show was "Baywatch," the earlier years.
My father, who speaks multiple languages, believed that if you can engage in a conversation in that language, it expedites your opportunity to learn it. He would force us to mimic the conversations that the characters were having. We were raised by educators, so we were avid readers and could read English, even though we didn't really speak English. And so he would make us watch the TV show with closed captions on. And I can't even tell you how silly it was to try to do that. But it did ultimately help. My siblings learned English faster than they would have, at the age they came here. It certainly expedited my opportunity to learn the language as well. I think the cultural context of what was happening on the show was not something we actually understood. - from the Salon interview

Rep. Ilhan Omar and her then two-year-old daughter, Isra Hirsi, on a trip to Sweden in 2005 – image from Elle Magazine

We can expect that in any political memoir, there will be a lot of self-aggrandizement, in the same way that resumes tend to portray as wonderful parts of our lives that could use a bit of burnishing. But we do not really expect much by way of the less cheery side of her life. In addition to fleeing Somalis under fire, and surviving in refugee camps, she spends some time on her marriages, and even on a nervous breakdown that included, among other bad decisions, shaving her head. While she does not devote a lot of ink to this side of her experience, she certainly offers enough, and shows some guts in doing so. She also takes on the political mis-step that occurred when she suggested that the impact of AIPAC was at least in part due to the PACs monetary influence. She was immediately schooled on some of the terminology she had used, and offered a sincere sorry-now-I-know-better apology.

She focuses a lot on her combativeness, a trait she had from a very early age. (See the quote at the top of this review) It’s a feature not a bug, and one that any effective legislator should have, to at least some degree. How much was from her mother dying when she was two? How much from spending more time with boys than girls? How much was innate is impossible to tell, but her assertiveness was very-much supported in Somalia by family who adored her, her father and grandfather in particular. Both men were educated. Her father worked in a government job helping to run the nation’s lighthouse network. Grandfather was particularly unusual in that he treated the women and girls in his family as equals. It is unclear how much difference was made by the fact that the family was relatively well-to-do, enough to have their own driver. But surely all contributed to constructing the Ilhan Omar we know.

The tale of her four-year experience in refugee camps is chilling. A very close family member died there, along with many others who were carried off by starvation and disease. For a child who grew up in a relatively comfortable family, she has seen her share of hardship and human misery. Those experiences fuel her progressive legislative interests today.

Studying nutrition, and working as a community nutrition educator in Minneapolis for several years in order to teach poor immigrants about what foods to buy, and how to prepare them, gave her an appreciation for the needs of the US-born poor as well as the challenges faced by new arrivals. But it was in community organizing that she found her real passion. Her experience in Somalia, in the camps and in American schools gave her plenty of experience contending with bullies. In a precinct caucus in 2014 she was beaten up by five people who were opposed to the candidate whose campaign she was managing. Her description of the politics within the Minneapolis Somali immigrant community was news to me and very eye-opening. It was also news to me that Omar has been able to work with legislators from across the aisle in both the Minnesota and United States Houses of Representatives to craft legislation. Hardly the extremist her opponents see through their red-tinted glasses.

I never really found the idea of compromise to be a difficult one. I think oftentimes there are battles, and you have to pick which one to fight today and which one to live on to fight another day. There are seeds we have to plant in order for there to be an opportunity for someone to enjoy that shade tomorrow. - from the Salon interview

And it was even greater news to learn that one of her personal political heroes was a powerful leader from a conservative party. You will be very surprised when you find out who.

On June 16, 2020, Omar’s father, Nur Omar Mohamed, 67, died of complications from Covid-19. Her relationship with her father is a very considerable element in this book, as it has been in her life. She respected and dearly loved her father, whose good opinion she cherished more than anyone’s.

…with God, you can always pray. You can ask for forgiveness. But when Dad walked away, there was no begging for forgiveness. I never wanted to get myself in that position. - from the Salon interview

Omar with her father - image from CNN

This is What America Looks Like is a remarkable political memoir. It is a very fast read. I blasted through this book in record time, for me, no skimming. Many readers could get through it in a single session. The odds are that you do not know all that much about Omar’s background. I know I didn’t, and I am someone who attends to things political more than the average reader. So there is that. You will learn about who she is beyond who she endorsed in this or that electoral race, what her positions are on a small list of national policy issues, and how the right chooses to vilify her, with their usual degree of honesty. Ilhan Omar has a remarkable story to tell and she tells it exceedingly well. Check this one out. You will not be sorry.

Review first posted – June 19, 2020

Publication dates
----------May 26, 2020 - hardcover
----------July 27, 2021 - trade paperback

=============================EXTRA STUFF

Links to the author’s personal, Twitter and FB pages

You might check out the comments added to images I posted on Instagram, for a flavor of the sort of frothing, psychotic hatred she must endure, thinly veiled death threats included. Some could make a nice bit on Jimmy Kimmel’s Mean Tweets. Some, of course would be better off referred to the FBI for investigation.

Interviews
-----Elle - An Intimate Conversation Between Rep. Ilhan Omar and Her Daughter, Isra Hirsi by Isra Hirsi – Omar’s 17-year-old daughter
-----NPR - Ilhan Omar On Her Memoir And Moving The Needle Toward Progressive Policies
-----Salon - Rep. Ilhan Omar talks Trump: "People are ready for someone who isn't triggered" - by Dean Obeidallah
-----LA Review of Books - That Better America for Everyone: Talking to Representative Ilhan Omar by Andy Fitch - outstanding and informative

Items of Interest
-----Literary Hub - an excerpt - Ilhan Omar on Her Early Days Getting Out the Vote
-----The New Yorker - The Dangerous Bullying of Ilhan Omar by Masha Gessen – at the end of her piece Gessen says She performs neither humility nor gratitude. Specifically, as it pertains to Nancy Pelosi, there are passages in the book that constitute considerable public gratitude. So, given that Gessen wrote her piece in April 2019, it would seem that Omar has learned a thing or two since being elected to Congress.
-----Vox - The controversy over Ilhan Omar and AIPAC money, explained by Matthew Iglesias
-----The Guardian - The Squad: progressive Democrats reveal how they got their name by Edward Helmore
-----Omar speaking out against destruction of property during protests
-----Omar interviewed by Jake Tapper on What De-funding a Police Department looks like - a good look at a movement with a terrible slogan
-----Omar quoted Maya Angelou’s poem Still I Rise in response to Trump-rally brownshirts chanting “Send her back”

[Josh Hedgepeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't read this, but I'm rating it 5 star until I do to fight the racist and islamophobic 1 star ratings.

Update: I've bought the book and hope to get to it before the end of the year.

[Wil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exactly what you want a memoir to be: personal. Read Ilhan’s story in her own words. Not manipulated or biased. Her strength and vulnerability are in full display as she takes you from the school yard, through a war zone, and into Minneapolis politics. Ignore the trolls. She is for the people because she is the people. Can not recommend enough.

BONUS: If you can listen to the audiobook, Ilhan’s voice adds an extra layer to an already personal memoir.

[P · Rating 1 out of 5]

An ingrate traitor in our midst.

[LeeTravelGoddess · Rating 5 out of 5]

what a lovely book. I loved Representative Omar’s story and believe it to be amongst my tops for 2020! 💚💚💚 wow, what a story young lady.


WOW!

[Emily Goenner Munson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this because I wanted to know more about Omar's story, which is the only thing that kept me reading. The memoir is written as if Omar is telling the story to the writer, detached and plain. Although I felt I knew some about her father, most secondary characters are barely sketched or breezed over. This is an adequate book to learn about the interesting life Omar has led, and the characteristics that drive her, but I never felt close to her or others in the book. Perhaps, as she writes, this is because she doesn't delve into emotion much. I admire Omar, her story and politics and just wish this memoir had been better.

[LBK · Rating 4 out of 5]

Congresswoman Omar's story is heartbreaking and necessary. She has faced racism countless times and continues to rise above.

[SLADE · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished this in about a day. Great story. I hope Ilhan and the rest those like her continue to run and win elections. We need more people like running legislatures all around this country.

[Aissata Amadou · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible memoir!
Ilhan's story truly moved me and I learned a lot from it. One of the things I learned is that growing up is not linear and it doesn't stop when you turn 18. I loved seeing Ilhan's complex relationship with religion and the hijab. It was also so interesting to see the behind the scenes of campaigning. Ilhan had to triumph over so much on her road to becoming a representative but her election is a story of hope for me and that means a lot. As usual i'm going to recommend this one on audio because she narrates it herself and it sounds like she's telling you her life story. I can't wait to see what else Ilhan does!

[Clif · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd love to see this book a required read for middle school students in America. It very easy to read and relates the kind of up from nothing life story that has always been considered worthwhile for youth to emulate.

In Somalia, Omar was part of an economically successful family which meant a gated compound with walls topped by shards of broken glass, but civil war there disrupted life for everyone. In one passage she talks of how the family had retreated into their house as young men broke down the gate to the compound. Barred windows and a strong front door kept them safe, but as the men looted outside, some were recognized as former classmates. Siblings of Ilhan shouted at them, "what would your mothers think of you!" which may have prevented a turn for the worse. Such is the intimacy of that horrible war that devastated the country. Could an 8 year old experience greater terror?

But it was only the start of Omar's trials. Losing all, the family escaped to a refugee camp over the border in Kenya, where home was a tent, one of many in a landscape of no shade. After applying for admission to the United States, something almost impossible to obtain, an entire year had to pass before the request was granted and, not knowing a word of English, Omar was off to a life she expected to feature a nice home behind a picket fence as depicted in an orientation film shown to those moving to the new land.

Far from finding the white picket fence, Omar found herself in constant fights in middle school where her pride would cause her to challenge anyone who looked at her wrong. I suspect that were she male, her behavior would have resulted in dismissal. Even her father wondered what was wrong with her. But this feisty temperament drove her.

A failed marriage, a brief life on the road with another guy, a miscarriage, being duped by a community college into paying for courses that were not accredited, she had more than her share of hurdles but was sustained throughout by a loving father and grandfather.

Her ascent from a Minnesota election worker to elected office in MN and then to a seat in Congress is related with all the ups and downs you would expect plus a few more due to Omar being Muslim and female.

There are many people who have a drive that is unstoppable, who jump at opportunities and often the result is a politician. Ilhan Omar is different in her concern for the people at the bottom and her experience of being there with them. This is precisely the kind of background we should hope to find in the House of Representatives, but don't. Starting in 2018 and being followed up now in 2020 Americans are seeing long serving placeholders being removed by upstarts such as Omar and AOC. Let this be the start of a flood of new faces!

Any American could gain by reading this book, an encouraging one that is quickly finished leaving the reader not only invigorated but cognizant of how wrong is the terrible image of immigrants we hear presented regularly from a particular person born to wealth and obsessed with himself.

I was stimulated to make a donation to the UNHCR (UN High Commissioner for Refugees) that ran the refugee camp in Kenya mentioned in the book. UNHCR also ran the program to place refugees that resulted in Ilhan Omar coming to America. The UN is a very worthy organization that the current administration denounces. Americans: show your support for the UN, even if your country doesn't.

[Yusra ☾]

PREREAD: With everything going on between that potato of a president and his insulting of not only Ilhan but the entire Somali and Somali American community itself, I think it’s a very fitting and good time for a reread! 🇸🇴

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked Ilhan Omar before I read her book, and I like her even more now, after having read it.

Obviously, I knew that she was a Somalian refugee who eventually became a member of Congress, but that was really all that I knew about her life. Other than that, all I knew about her was her progressive politics, which I am here for. The more I listened to her story, the more I appreciated how she came to be who and where she is. When I grow up, I want to be like her.

On top of learning about her story, I also appreciated this for giving me a bit more insight into her faith, particularly how she (and her devout extended family) practices it. The lesson she received from her cousin, and which she relayed in this book, was eye-opening for us both. For her, it was a revelation in the way that being Muslim (and honestly, all religions and faiths, in my opinion) could be - rather than dictating how others must behave and act, instead, each person is responsible for their own faith, and for focusing on behaviors and habits that will not cause negativity or harm to or in others. For me, it was an "Aha!" moment in understanding the Congresswoman she would ultimately become - one that strives to listen, to be a representative and advocate for all, regardless of who they are, and work FOR their needs and benefit.

Anyway, I really liked her story. It was definitely heartbreaking at times. The loss of her aunt, who was the closest she had to a mother, was really hard, but when her grandfather died, I was really heartbroken for her. I have been listening to audiobooks at night while I walk (part of my Get The Fuck Off The Couch initiative) and when she relayed that part, and the WAY she relayed it, was like a gutpunch and I literally had to stop walking because I needed to wipe my tears and you know, be able to see so I didn't fall into a Pennsylvania pothole and never be seen or heard from again. (It could happen.)

The only negative I have to say about this is that, while I appreciated hearing her story in her voice, she does not a great audiobook reader make. Everyone has their talents and this is not hers.

I don't know where her political career will take her from here. I have high hopes for her though. She is brave and tough and strong-willed. Most importantly, she's open-minded and willing to put in the work to help people. She loves and believes in the ideals of America... even if we don't live up to them. Yet.

[Liv · Rating 5 out of 5]

""I have been racking my brain to figure out what's different about you and I got it."
"My hijab?" I said sarcastically.
"No, it's that you somehow walk in like you're a man."
"A white man."
"Yes, a white man."
Constantly being underestimated has always been helpful to me. It was really hard for him to imagine that a ninety-pound refugee hijabi could be confident enough to walk into a leadership role of a caucus whose most important incumbent she defeated."

Ilhan Omar above all is a fighter, that much is clear from her memoir. The memoir is funny, sad, so openly honest and so very interesting as she recounts her early childhood in Somalia, her family fleeing to Kenya during the civil war and time spent in the refugee camps, her move to America in her teenage years and her time through the American education system before she eventually became engaged with politics. The different phases of her life are clearly split out and Ilhan shares so openly how at different points she changed her relationships with her family, her religion and her own ambitions. Her journey has clearly not been easy but the memoir is so deeply absorbing.

Even when she made it to Congress she had to overturn a 181-year-old ban on headwear in order to be allowed to wear her hijab in Congress. She's faced countless threats, been physically attacked and suffered great loss in her life. However, her strength, her resilience, her determination to fight for a better America shine so brightly in this memoir.

It's an incredibly readable memoir, and she's an absolutely incredible woman. The whole thing left me in tears and in awe. I don't have much more to say as I don't think you can rate memoirs, but this book is about an utterly fantastic woman. She cares so deeply about her community, her beliefs and her people and I think that shines through in the book. Even if you're not interested in American politics, this is about her life, her family, the Somalian community, the Muslim community, being a Black woman, a mother, a refugee and more. I 100% recommend this book to everyone.

"Pride, strength, and responsibility - all of those notions are the domain of people in comfort and safety. When you're facing death, you're not guided by your importance or your past, and you certainly don't worry about whether your pride is intact. Again and again, I witnessed that if you can push through whatever is happening today, tomorrow might be worse, but it could also be better. The only option for the human spirit is to keep going."

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartfelt and inspiring, Ilhan Omar's memoir recounts her incredible journey from refugee to Congresswoman and the many obstacles she faced on the way. Among all the insanity and infuriating bullshit coming out of American politics these past years, she's one of the few who stand out as a brightly shining light to remind the world of what we'd like America to be. I admire both her resolve and her values. I can only hope she continues on her path, with a long and productive career ahead of her, never ceasing to defy all the haters who want to see her gone.

[Gwenn Mangine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book and inspiring story. Omar has a tenacity and unapologetic confidence that almost seemed a little bit bragging at times, but then, when I sat down and really thought about it, I only felt that way because she was a woman— which is exactly her point.

This is a story of survival, trauma, the hard decisions traumatized people are faced with, and so, so much more. It’s a great story of America and I hope we will someday get to “our America” together.

[Amy Bullis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished this ARC due to be released in May. Even if you don't agree with her political position, this is a fascinating story of her life from a child in Mogadishu, to her role as a US Congresswoman. Most importantly, it's HER story of who she is, not someone else's opinion.

[Katherine Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most intimate and heartfelt memoirs I've ever read. All Americans should read this book.

[Katy O. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I raced through this in half a day and highly highly recommend it. It’s written in a way that makes it highly accessible and it would be an excellent pick for teens as well.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ilhan Omar is an incredible woman and this book truly showcases that. I have always respected and appreciated Omar for her work in the political sphere, but this book gave a glimpse into her personal life and motivations behind all she does. Despite all of the hardships and losses she has endured in life, which began at a very early age, she manages to remain optimistic. In the face of extreme & disgusting racism, Islamophobia, xenophobia, and sexism she has faced, Omar continues to serve her constituents and advocate for what she believes in to build a better America. Her strength throughout all of the challenges she has faced is so inspiring. Most importantly, this memoir allows Omar to tell her story of who she is, in her own words. After all of the horrible rumors and smear campaigns against her, I would recommend all Americans to read this memoir for insight into what an amazing woman she is. I hope that she continues to advocate for change in America for many years to come because her voice and advocacy are exactly what is needed today.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm in absolute awe of this woman

[Elizabeth Aguilar · Rating 5 out of 5]

RTC

[The Contented · Rating 4 out of 5]

“...it all starts with just showing up,, and that’s something all of us can do”

A pleasant- enough political biography although not a book that will stay with me forever. I have this four stars, as I had given ‘Becoming’ four stars, although this was more concise and more readable

[Max · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book that describes Omar’s journey to become a US Congresswoman. First, she describes how the Somalian civil war abruptly ended her middle class childhood and led to several years in refugee camps. Eventually, Omar and her family settled in Minnesota, where she overcame many obstacles and, in 2018, was elected to become a US Representative. For me, the biggest lesson from the book is that one can overcome adversity through perseverance and by putting oneself in the right place at the right time.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book. Mandatory reading. Cannot recommend highly enough. I started reading this yesterday, after voting for Ilhan against that gratuitous primary challenge she faced and won handily this morning. Am so glad that I live in Ilhan's district, even though I was getting annoyed during the primary because her campaign ad's "broken housing system" featured an image taken five hundred feet from my front door. After reading this book, I am more proud of her than ever.

This Is What America Looks Like is a simply written political autobiography that starts in a family home in Mogadishu and ends on the floor of the US congress. Between those points, there's a lot of pain and struggle but Ilhan struggles and thrives, finds her bearings, and wins. Holy buckets. There must be a lot of people out there walking around saying, "Ilhan Omar beat me up in junior high." Maybe they're not bragging about it. She's pretty small. But she's scrappy, and she continues her fights today to bring justice and equality to all Americans, regardless of whether they look like her or me or you. The narrative flows perfectly and makes this book unputdownable. Props to the ghostwriter for organizing Ilhan's recollections and political philosophy into this fluid story, except:

PERKINS COFFEE SHOP! WHAT THE HECK? Perkins is not a coffee shop and cannot be described as a coffee shop. Ilhan knows that every and all Perkins is a place for pancakes and Perkins is a restaurant that allows one to sit endlessly and order bottomless coffee, but it is not a coffee shop and cannot be thought of as such. I am blaming the ghostwriter for that glaring mistake. She could've just said, "Perkins is the Minnesotan word for Denny's," but someone missed an obvious in-statement and made a glaring mistake and the Riverside Perkins is somehow presented in a very strange light. There was also an explanation that Caribou is "a coffee shop." Yes, it is.

Ilhan reads the audiobook!

[Bob Woodley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think any other member of Congress has endured the hardship that Omar has. I was just shaking my head at what she went through as a child. What a tough person.

Immigrants and muslims need a strong voice in our government. Omar is that person, and has taken so much flak. She is constantly attacked by the right. In fact surveys find that there is greater name recognition of Omar among viewers of Fox news than among the population at large. There is constant negative press about her. No, she did not marry her brother. No, she is not anti-semitic.

The book is short. I read it in a few hours. It is not "Audacity of Hope" and eschews grand visions. Her viewpoints and policy are present in the book but get less coverage than I expected. There is more autobiography than political biography. She has lived so much, there is a lot of ground to cover.

[Feisty Harriet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is EXCELLENT. Ilhan Omar reads the audio herself, and while it took her a chapter or two before she really got into her narration groove, I loved hearing this in her voice. She talks about her childhood in Somalia, their escape to Kenya as refugees when Somalia fell to brutal civil war, and eventual vetting and settlement in the United States. Her experience and perspective is unique and just...damn, this woman is a powerhouse. She's smart, she's tough, she takes no shit, and she doesn't back down. Five stars. Absolutely recommend.

[Brent · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

The rating is by no means indicative of the incredible journey that Ilhan Omar has endured to reach the place that she is in today.

The book itself just felt a little off at moments. It seemed rushed at times and less personal than it could have been at others.

However, her story is incredible. I am not certain that anyone in Congress has faced the challenges, obstacles, and pushback that she has faced. Her story is truly an amazing journey that is, at its core, what it means to be an American.

[Tyler Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

An inspiring, eye-opening account of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s life, in her own words. Her tenacity is immensely impressive; I had no idea that in addition to overcoming the barriers of racism, sexism, and xenophobia in this country, she has also survived multiple physical attacks as people assaulted her for her politics. I look forward to seeing her continue growing and working for change within the United States!

[Kelsey Dewitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want to be inspired, humbled and educated about democracy and inequality read this book! I cried, I got excited, I felt ashamed and I felt renewed all while reading the story and thoughts of Ilhan Omar. Great read for anyone who wants to have an inside view of this incredible woman and the Blue Wave of 2018.

[Alex Dimaio · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m a middle of the road thinker. I read all side and try to stay informed. This book didn’t inspire me. I felt the author was negative throughout. She is driven and hard working, but the title has nothing to do with the text.