About the Book
'Amanda's story underscores the lasting power of speaking your truth, building a movement, and never losing sight of your dreams' Melinda French Gates
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.
At a Harvard fraternity party in 2013, the trajectory of Amanda Nguyen's life was changed forever when she was raped.
The American-born child of Vietnamese refugees, Nguyen had long dreamed of attending Harvard, and it had become a place of refuge from a childhood filled with turmoil and trauma. Determined to not let her rape derail the life she'd worked so hard to create, she opted for her rape kit to be filed under Jane Doe, knowing that an active court case tied to her name could hurt her odds of working for NASA after graduation, a goal she'd been working toward for years.
But she was shocked to learn this choice meant she had only six months to take action before the state of Massachusetts destroyed her kit, rendering any future legal action impossible. Nguyen knew then that she had two options: surrender to a law that effectively silenced survivors of sexual assault, or fight for a change.
A deeply affecting memoir of grief, survival, and hope, Saving Five details Nguyen's winding journey of recovery and action, which ultimately led her to create the Sexual Assault Survivors' Bill of Rights, one of the only unanimously passed laws in the history of the United States. Both a tribute to resilience and a lesson on healing, Saving Five is an inspirational story for the ages.
About the Author :
Amanda Nguyen is an activist, astronaut and author. Her memoir, Saving Five, was a New York Times bestseller, as well as one of the Most Anticipated Books of 2025 by TIME, Barnes and Noble, Cambridge Day and Oprah Daily. Saving Five was a New York Times Editor's Choice, Natalie Portman Book Club and Publisher's Weekly pick. Nguyen ignited the Stop Asian Hate movement and passed ground-breaking legislation that protects sexual assault survivor rights in the United States and the United Nations through Rise, her non-profit. She was nominated for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize and was named a 2022 Time Woman of the Year.
Review :
Saving Five is an extraordinarily moving account of Amanda Nguyen's pursuit of justice and healing for herself and for millions of survivors around the world. 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
Amanda Nguyen's journey from survivor to global advocate inspires and empowers us all to stand up and fight for what is right. Saving Five is truly a beacon of hope for anyone who has faced adversity and Amanda's voice is one that the world needs to hear
Brilliant. Amanda Nguyen is a compassionate, clear-eyed guiding force. Not only does she fight for survivor's basic rights, in Saving Five she shows us how to reclaim the full spectrum of our lives, replete with pain, fury, creativity, and recovered dreams
It takes a special kind of bravery to suffer what Amanda Ngyuyen has endured and not only survive, but to become stronger through every slight, indignity and betrayal by every power that you can imagine, be it governmental, administrative, institutional, or familial. I am in awe of her persistence, determination and fortitude to fight for and win rights we as American citizens have mistakenly assumed were ours by birthright. Saving Five describes why she is my hero.
I am in awe of Amanda Nguyen's courage in sharing her story and her fight to support survivors. As a survivor, I know how painful it is to revisit and recount the horror of the rape and sexual abuse, along with the shame, stigma, and doubt that came with it. Today, Amanda and Saving Five are more than just that story―she's an astronaut, an author, an activist, and a champion for all
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.
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
An introspective journey written with cinematic prose . . . This book is a testament to the resilience of survivors, showing that survivors can still shoot for the stars while giving themselves grace to process their trauma
Affecting, informative . . . poetic . . . The rational and emotional sides of the story combine for a nuanced view of [Nguyen's] experience
An account of trauma, rage and activism, and also a kind of guide through grief, which shows how every stage propelled Nguyen and served a purpose
Amanda Nguyen's memoir of surviving assault (and making it to space) is a deeply moving and inspiring account of resilience, activism, and the power of hope in the face of unimaginable adversity . . . Nguyen's writing is raw, vulnerable, and beautifully crafted, and her debut is not just a memoir - it's a call to action.
Poignant and imaginative . . . It is sobering to realize that the rape survival memoir has become its own genre . . . But as with accounts of grief, each writer's story is vivid and necessary. Nguyen's original contribution will, as its title promises, give both survivors and non-survivors some sense of hope for justice―and, now more than ever, such hope is essential
A genre-crossing mix of traditional memoir, practical guide to leading a movement, and magical realism
