Saving Five: A Memoir of Hope

'Amanda Nguyen shows us how to reclaim the full spectrum of our lives, replete with pain, fury, creativity, and recovered dreams' - Chanel Miller, author of Know My Name


'I am in awe of Amanda Nguyen's courage in sharing her story and her fight to support survivors' - Nadia Murad, recipient of the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize


A brave and imaginative memoir by the Nobel Peace Prize nominee Amanda Nguyen, detailing her healing journey and ground-breaking activism in the aftermath of her rape at Harvard.

In 2013, the trajectory of Amanda Nguyen's life was changed forever when she was sexually assaulted as a student at Harvard.

Determined to not let her assault derail her goal of joining NASA after graduation, Nguyen opted for her rape kit to be filed under 'Jane Doe.' But she was shocked to learn her choice to stay anonymous gave her only six months to take action before the state destroyed her kit, rendering any future legal action impossible. Nguyen knew then that she had two options: surrender to a law that effectively denied her justice, or fight for a change-not only for herself but for survivors everywhere.

A heart-wrenching memoir of survival and hope, Saving Five boldly braids the story of Nguyen's activism with a second, beautifully imagined adventure, of Nguyen's younger selves as they navigate through dramatic incarnations of her path toward healing, not only from her rape but from the violent turmoil of her childhood. This is a ground-breaking work that seamlessly blends memoir with a moving journey toward acceptance and hope, forging a path ahead that is as inspiring as it is instructive.

From one of the most influential activists and astronauts of her time, Saving Five is at once a tribute to resilience, a celebration of healing through action, and a resounding cry to change the world.