Habibo Haji didn’t have an easy time making her dreams come true, but she persevered and hopes to inspire others through her story.

Haji will talk about her experiences, which she wrote about in her autobiography “Conquering the Odds: Journey of a Shepherd Girl” at 4 p.m. at the Austin Public Library on Friday.

The book tells the story of a young girl — Haji — who had to endure many of life’s obstacles at a young age while growing up in Somalia, finding herself in a refugee camp and being chosen as one of few of about 5,000 people to come to America.

“And the question is how did that girl … get to live the American dream?” Haji said.

Now an adult, Haji has worked in Rochester at Mayo Clinic as a registered nurse for about eight years. The book came out in 2013 and though it was difficult to write at times, Haji hopes the book will bring hope to readers.

“It’s meant to give people hope and develop resilience when they see those sort of things,” she said.

She wrote the book for her daughters, to show them people can always find a way to come out on the other side.

“They gave me the courage to write it even though it was difficult, even though I was scared what people would think of me when they find out some of those personal stories,” she said.

She hopes it will give people who have been through similar things she did — starvation, molestation, rejection — the inspiration to let go of the past.

“We don’t have to live in it, we don’t have to carry it through the rest of our lives,” she said.

Haji noted everyone has stories that shape who they are and how they see the world, and she hopes readers can gain inspiration from her story to follow dreams they never thought would be possible.

“In it, you’ll find life and joy and crying and sadness, and finally find someone who overcomes and finds their calling in life,” Haji said.

She recommended the book for ages 13 and above.