“Written for every survivor” (Exclusive)

In 2013, Amanda Nguyen was a student at Harvard University when her life changed forever when she was raped. The student at the time dreamed of working at NASA after graduating. And because she was determined not to let the experience deter her from her path, Nguyen submitted her rape kit – a forensic examination of sexual assault – under the name “Jane Doe.”

When Nguyen learned that maintaining her anonymity left her with little time before her kit was to be destroyed by the state of Massachusetts, barring her from further legal action, she knew she had to act.

The Nobel Prize candidate and astronaut's journey is described in detail in her forthcoming memoirs. Saving Five: Memories of Hopewhose cover was exclusively revealed by PEOPLE.

The book, which will be published by AUWA next year, follows Nguyen from the “violent turmoil” of her childhood to her current role as a civil rights activist. Nguyen's work enabled the unanimous passage of the Sexual Assault Survivor's Rights Act of 2016. She also founded the civil rights organization Rise, which advocates for the rights of victims of rape and sexual assault, according to its website.

Save fivewhich also features the voices of Nguyen's younger self at ages 5, 15, 22 and 30, is, according to the memoir's description, a “moving journey toward acceptance and hope.”

“This is a book about pure bravery. Amanda Nguyen went through a deeply traumatic experience and came out the other side in a way that has helped countless others rise,” said Questlove, whose publisher AUWA will publish the book. “It's hard to imagine her strength, her honesty or her intelligence when it comes to dealing with self-doubt. I'm so happy to have the opportunity to support her voice and Save five to the world.”

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Nguyen was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019 and named TIME Magazine's Woman of the Year in 2022. In addition to her work for victims of sexual assault, she also launched the Stop Asian Hate movement in 2021. Nguyen's first flight into space with the Blue Origin launch is also planned for 2025.

Write Save five was an important experience for Nguyen – and she hopes the book will influence others as well.

“This book is written for every survivor,” Nguyen tells PEOPLE. “Writing it helped me heal. It is my greatest hope that these pages can help heal anyone who is seeking it and show them that we can do it.”