Memoir from Ilhan Omar's sister, Sahra Noor, promises 'fierce honesty'
Published in Books News
MINNEAPOLIS -- Sahra Noor’s upcoming memoir is billed as being about a father and daughter, but it’s bound to get lots of attention because of her younger sister, Rep. Ilhan Omar.
“Salt in the Snow: A Somali Immigrant Story,” the global health executive’s book, will be published Aug. 4. It’s billed as a “deeply personal memoir about migration, motherhood, and the enduring influence of a father’s love.” It examines the lessons her father taught her when she was growing up in Mogadishu and how they served her when the family migrated to Minnesota.
Noor, who holds degrees in nursing and health systems administration from the University of Minnesota and St. Catherine University, works and writes to strengthen health systems in Africa. “Salt in the Snow,” which will be available as a paperback or e-book, is described as shedding light on being raised by a single father, building bridges between cultures and generations, the immigrant experience and powerful Muslim women.
The book opens with Noor in Nairobi with her family, learning about the murder of George Floyd. Then, “Salt in the Snow” flashes back to Noor’s youth in both Somalia and the U.S., ending with her family’s decision to return to Africa.
©2026 The Minnesota Star Tribune. Visit at startribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.











Comments