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A Memoir of Hope
by Amanda Nguyen
A brave and imaginative memoir by the Nobel Peace Prize nominee Amanda Nguyen, detailing her healing journey and groundbreaking activism in the aftermath of her rape at Harvard.
In 2013, the trajectory of Amanda Nguyen's life was changed forever when she was raped 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―which resulted in Congress's unanimous passage of the Sexual Assault Survivors' Rights Act in 2016―with a second, beautifully imagined adventure, of Nguyen's younger selves as they―at ages five, fifteen, twenty-two, and thirty―navigate through dramatic incarnations of the emotional stages of her path toward healing, not only from her rape but from the violent turmoil of her childhood. The result is a groundbreaking 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 now 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.
"A troubling account of the obstacles our system places in the path of rape survivors." —Kirkus Reviews
"Affecting, informative...poetic...The rational and emotional sides of the story combine for a nuanced view of [Nguyen's] experience." ―Booklist
"This intimate, grit-infused true story is a testament to the power of honesty in the face of great challenges...In a time where disenfranchisement and suffering may feel increasingly inevitable, it's vital to witness and embrace the possibility of a better world. With Saving Five, Nguyen insists you join her in doing so." ―BookPage
"Brilliant. Amanda Nguyen is a compassionate, clear-eyed guiding force. Not only does she fight for survivors' basic rights, but in Saving Five she also 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
"If Saving Five doesn't inspire you, check your pulse. It is an extraordinary testimony of resilience, persistence, and ambition. While Amanda's history-making journey alone could have carried this memoir, it's also a feat of formal invention, lyrical prose, and a gifted storyteller's sense of suspense. I was mesmerized from page one to its triumphant ending." ―Mitchell S. Jackson, author of Survival Math, winner of the Pulitzer Prize
This information about Saving Five was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Amanda Nguyen is an activist and astronaut. Amanda ignited the Stop Asian Hate movement and passed groundbreaking legislation that protects sexual assault survivor rights in the United States and United Nations through Rise, her civil rights accelerator. She was nominated for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize and is a 2022 TIME Woman of the Year.
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