Saving Five
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Description
"Amanda's story-innovatively told by versions of herself at different ages-underscores the lasting power of speaking your truth, building a movement, and never losing sight of your dreams." -Melinda French Gates
"In Saving Five, 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
In 2013, the trajectory of Amanda Nguyen's life was changed forever when she was raped at Harvard University.
Determined not to 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 press charges 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 Survivors' Bill of Rights Act in 2016-with a second, beautifully imagined adventure, of Nguyen's younger selves as they, at the ages of five, fifteen, twenty-two, and thirty, navigate 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 recounting of her 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 our time, Saving Five is at once a tribute to resilience, a celebration of healing through action, and a resounding cry to change the world.
Book Information
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Eine beeindruckende und inspirierende Frau des 21. Jahrhunderts deren Biografie man gelesen haben muss.
Ich habe noch nie eine so gut geschriebene und gleichzeitig beeindruckende Biografie gelesen. Das Buch besteht aus zwei wechselnden Erzählungen - einmal den Lebensereignissen von Amanda und zum anderen die Beschreibung des schwierigen Weges seine Vergangenheits - IchFormen miteinander im friedvollen Einklang zu vereinen. Diese beeindruckende Frau ist eine Inspiration und ihr Weg kann jedem Menschen eine Inspiration sein.
“Saving Five: A Memoir of Hope” hit me way harder than I expected. The beginning already drew me in, but the emotional weight truly settled on me the further I read — especially toward the end. It’s one of those rare books that doesn’t just tell a story, it lives in you for a while. Amanda Nguyen’s life is honestly unbelievable in the most heartbreaking and inspiring ways. What she went through — from the abuse in her childhood to surviving sexual assault at Harvard — would have destroyed so many people. And yet she didn’t just survive; she built something bigger out of it. Her strength is on another level, but it never feels unreal or performative. She’s human, she’s hurting, she’s healing, and she’s choosing to stand up again and again. What shocked me the most wasn’t just the violence she endured, but how messed up the system around her was. The way certain politicians tried to use her story for their own gain was disgusting — especially Chad. But seeing her fight back, document everything, and use her voice to push for actual legal change? That’s the part that gave me hope. The Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill of Rights exists because she refused to stay silent. That’s wild in the best way. The structure of the memoir — especially the moments with her different future selves — felt surprisingly poetic and grounding. It made the whole emotional journey even more meaningful. I’m not a survivor myself, and still this book made me cry. I can only imagine how deeply it must resonate with people who’ve lived through similar trauma. Amanda writes with so much honesty that you don’t just read her story, you feel it.
Description
"Amanda's story-innovatively told by versions of herself at different ages-underscores the lasting power of speaking your truth, building a movement, and never losing sight of your dreams." -Melinda French Gates
"In Saving Five, 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
In 2013, the trajectory of Amanda Nguyen's life was changed forever when she was raped at Harvard University.
Determined not to 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 press charges 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 Survivors' Bill of Rights Act in 2016-with a second, beautifully imagined adventure, of Nguyen's younger selves as they, at the ages of five, fifteen, twenty-two, and thirty, navigate 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 recounting of her 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 our time, Saving Five is at once a tribute to resilience, a celebration of healing through action, and a resounding cry to change the world.
Book Information
Posts
Eine beeindruckende und inspirierende Frau des 21. Jahrhunderts deren Biografie man gelesen haben muss.
Ich habe noch nie eine so gut geschriebene und gleichzeitig beeindruckende Biografie gelesen. Das Buch besteht aus zwei wechselnden Erzählungen - einmal den Lebensereignissen von Amanda und zum anderen die Beschreibung des schwierigen Weges seine Vergangenheits - IchFormen miteinander im friedvollen Einklang zu vereinen. Diese beeindruckende Frau ist eine Inspiration und ihr Weg kann jedem Menschen eine Inspiration sein.
“Saving Five: A Memoir of Hope” hit me way harder than I expected. The beginning already drew me in, but the emotional weight truly settled on me the further I read — especially toward the end. It’s one of those rare books that doesn’t just tell a story, it lives in you for a while. Amanda Nguyen’s life is honestly unbelievable in the most heartbreaking and inspiring ways. What she went through — from the abuse in her childhood to surviving sexual assault at Harvard — would have destroyed so many people. And yet she didn’t just survive; she built something bigger out of it. Her strength is on another level, but it never feels unreal or performative. She’s human, she’s hurting, she’s healing, and she’s choosing to stand up again and again. What shocked me the most wasn’t just the violence she endured, but how messed up the system around her was. The way certain politicians tried to use her story for their own gain was disgusting — especially Chad. But seeing her fight back, document everything, and use her voice to push for actual legal change? That’s the part that gave me hope. The Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill of Rights exists because she refused to stay silent. That’s wild in the best way. The structure of the memoir — especially the moments with her different future selves — felt surprisingly poetic and grounding. It made the whole emotional journey even more meaningful. I’m not a survivor myself, and still this book made me cry. I can only imagine how deeply it must resonate with people who’ve lived through similar trauma. Amanda writes with so much honesty that you don’t just read her story, you feel it.