Welcome to Litsy!

I struggle to give memoirs less than 5 stars because the author is writing their lived experiences. I don't have that struggle with this memoir! I loved learning about Ilhan and where she came from.

I realized recently that while I thought highly of Ilhan Omar I knew very little about her. Listening to the audiobook was the obvious remedy and now I think even more highly of her. The bulk of this book was about her journey from Somalia to the US as a refugee but does touch on her entry into politics and being elected to Congress as a Muslim woman. It was a quick listen and I would have gladly listened to more.

My fiancee is reading Trump's niece's book. I couldn't subject myself to that, so I chose something a little more inspirational. A quick read. She spends a good deal of time in her childhood and her transition to living in America. She keeps it very professional once her political career starts: she mentions her children, but does not talk of them much (their inclusion was actually jarring at times). A solid read, though.

Representative Omar has an incredible story that opens up avenues for conversation about standing up for principles and finding common ground. She makes me proud of my country when very little else does right now. This is a narrative of strength and hope that I badly needed.