Omar is the first African refugee, the first Somali-American, and one of the first Muslim women elected to Congress. Only eight years old when war broke out in Somalia, her family fled after armed gunmen attacked their compound and ended up in a refugee camp in Kenya. After a painstaking vetting process, her family achieved refugee status and arrived in Arlington, Virginia. At twelve Ilhan was determined to find her American dream. She became a grassroots organizer, graduated from college and was elected to Congress with a record-breaking turnout by the people of Minnesota. In chronicling her personal journey, Omar's irrepressible spirit, patriotism, friendship and faith are visible on every page. -- adapted from jacket