PROUD My Fight for an Unlikely American Dream

Ibtihaj Muhammad narrates her story of growing up as a black Muslim woman in the United States and becoming the first hijab-wearing American athlete. She is unflinching in her descriptions of a childhood without many role models--particularly in her chosen field of fencing. As narrator, Muhammad sounds like the young, optimistic woman she is; her choice to deliver her memoir makes us even more empathetic when we hear the ups and downs of her coming-of-age. We feel the sting of substitute teachers refusing to learn how to say her name, of missing out on slumber parties as a child, and of being told to find another sport besides fencing. M.R. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2018]