Hurst to publish Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s 'astonishing' memoir

Hurst will publish Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s first book, This Is What America Looks Like: My Journey from Refugee to Congresswoman.

The publisher acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Carolyn Bodkin at HarperCollins. Hurst will publish the book on 28th May 2020. 

This Is What America Looks Like is a tale of the aspirations, disappointments, successes and surprises in the life of an immigrant and Muslim in the US today.

Omar became the United States' first Somali-American legislator in 2016 when she was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives. Two years later she was elected to Congress as the Representative for Minnesota’s 5th district.

This Is What America Looks Like starts with Omar's childhood in Mogadishu and four long years at a Kenyan refugee camp, going on to explore her arrival in America—penniless and speaking only Somali—through to her triumphant election to the US House of Representatives. 

Farhaana Arefin, editor at Hurst, said: “Omar is one of America's most courageous and formidable fighters—a beacon of hope across the world for women, migrants, minorities, and all who push for a more equal and just society. Her astonishing story is one of defiance in the face of difficulty, of always dreaming bigger and struggling harder, and I hope it will inspire us all to stand up for our beliefs without fear or apology.”

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez commented: “This book will give you insight into the person and sister that I see—passionate, caring, witty, and above all committed to positive change.”