Saving Five

A Memoir of Hope

De: Amanda Nguyen

Narrado por: Sura Siu

This program is read by read by Sura Siu with an exclusive note written and read by the author.

One of TIME and Oprah Daily's Most Anticipated Books of 2025

“Siu's measured, compassionate delivery honors Nguyen's story, which balances the raw emotion of trauma with the strength of survival.”—AudioFile

"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

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 Macmillan Audio production from AUWA Books.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2025 Amanda Nguyen (P)2025 Macmillan Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

“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.” —Paris Hilton

"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

“It takes a special kind of bravery to suffer what Amanda Nguyen has endured and not only survive, but 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.” —Terry Crews

I have all amazing things to say about this book

This book is one of the most eloquently written and important relevant topics. As someone who has survived, themselves, it is for others a type of guide to healing a “North Star” if you will in the journey of healing. In addition to that... It also shows the shortcomings of the legal system and how they do often fail survivors. The amount of retraumatization this amazing human being had to go through to get The Survivors Bill Of Rights Passed into law… is not shocking, but the world should be appalled. Praise to Amanda, for all her hard work. Not just for herself, but also for all of us. Thank you, for never giving up.

I had the honor and privilege to meet this amazing human being, at a charity event for RISE, in NYC. I think the absolute universe of her and I will be cheering for her as she reaches the stars next month, at her launch with blue origin. All of her, 5,15,22,30 & beyond.

This book is an absolute must read. It’s for everyone and anyone. It’s truly amazing the way that this book is written: It speaks right to the heart and soul of every survivor.

A true treasure of a book

From cover to cover, I was gripped by the author’s journey. Her memoir was deeply relatable; even more-so by her unique/creative interwoven storytelling. I’m forever grateful for the rare/random chance of turning on the tv before work, and first hearing about it on the news.

A beautiful blend of present and past healing

Amanda has been an inspiration of mine for years. She shows such intelligence, grace and resilience throughout the entire process of healing from sexual assault and turning it into a bill that will now protect millions of survivors. She is well spoken, educated and articulates her strong message so clearly. I highly recommended this book.

Beautifully written!

I’m not finished with this book yet, but I can confidently say it is one of the most incredibly written books I’ve ever had the pleasure of listening to. Amanda Nguyen beautifully expresses the 5 stages of grief through her journey with younger selves at varying ages. I pre-ordered this memoir after seeing a TikTok a few months ago and it was well worth the wait. I cannot recommend this book enough!

The people who came along and helped her a long the way. God is so good.

This is an awesome book and every woman shouldg give this to her daughter at some point of struggle. It will give her hope, it will show her her how you DONT QIUT!! You get up and, get up and get up !!! That’s life! Sometimes it’s harder than you could ever imagine but it all preparing you for what’s next!! And GOD ALWAYS PUT THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE WHEN YOU NEED THEM!!! Just keep being observant pray DON’T GIVE UP, keep fighting and the hope and love will find you!!! This book is proof and not from mom;)

One of the best

This is one of the most well written books I’ve read in a long time. It was so beautiful, powerful, and perfectly composed. The reader was amazing. This book really deserves a lot of praise and recognition.

Inspiring and grounded Amanda

How beautifully it was written and relatable. Dreams/life goals prior to trauma should not vanish. Thank you for such a strong realization

Very different

Wow! Not what I excepted. Amanda is very creative and wrote a book that speaks on a very sad topic but she adds an interesting way to explain it. I’m also very proud of her and all of her hard work!!!

Mixed Review

Full disclosure, I DNF at halfway through, give or take. While I found the story compelling, I didn't care for the presentation. It was a distracting and at times for me, annoying, format that took away from the story and message. I was expecting more of a straightforward account of the author's remarkable journey. While I understand the author's point in dividing into three different selves/ages as a literary device to illustrate the impact of trauma, it just didn't work for me. Other readers will likely see if differently.

It's an important story by a courageous, intelligent person. However, readers/listeners should be aware of and open to the untraditional format.