New book traces life from a Somali orchard to running a nonprofit in Minnesota

A Minnesota author has put out a new book about her life with pieces from her grandparents’ orchard in Somalia, her teen years in a refugee camp and her adulthood in the U.S. and Minnesota.

In “My Dear Loving Sisters: Tea and Stories from an Audacious Life,” Fatoun Ali lays out how she survived poverty and abuse to raise four children and start a nonprofit. Ali created the piece in a workbook format, with strategies and questions for overcoming all kinds of challenges.

Her nonprofit, Somali Youth and Family Development Center, turns 15 this year and has a gala on Wednesday to celebrate. Fatoun Ali joined Minnesota Now host Nina Moini in the MPR News studio for a conversation about her work and life.