Masry was born in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and educated in Egypt. She received a master's degree from California Lutheran U., and has taught government and history at a Los Angeles high school since 1999. In 2004, she became the first Saudi American to run for political office in the U.S., when she sought a seat in the California State Assembly; she has run two additional campaigns for the seat, first in 2005-2006 and most recently in 2008. In this text, she and Chenard (English, Gateway Community College, New Haven, Connecticut) chronicle Masry's fascinating life, from her childhood in Mecca in the late 1940s-1950s through her second bid for the California State Assembly, and the people, events, and places that have brought Masry to champion the cause of democracy for all people. No subject index. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) Read Less