Saving Five: A Memoir of Hope Audiobook

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 portrays the story of Nguyen’s activism—which resulted in Congress’s unanimous passage of the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Rights Act in 2016. Added to this story is 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 Macmillan Audio production from AUWA Books.

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“A testament to the resilience of survivors, showing that survivors can still shoot for the stars while giving themselves grace to process their trauma.”

— WBUR