By Mena Suvari

A memoir by award-winning actor Mena Suvari, best-known for her iconic roles in American Beauty, American Pie, and Six Feet Under.

The Great Peace is a harrowing, heartbreaking coming-of-age story set in Hollywood, in which young teenage model-turned-actor Mena Suvari lost herself to sex, drugs and bad, often abusive relationships even as blockbuster movies made her famous. It's about growing up in the 90s, with a soundtrack ranging from The Doors to Deee-Lite, fashion from denim to day-glo, and a woman dealing with the lasting psychological scars of abuse, yet knowing deep inside she desires so much more from life.

Within these vulnerable pages, Mena not only reveals her own mistakes, but also the lessons she learned and her efforts to understand and grow rather than casting blame. As such, she makes this a timeless story of girl empowerment and redemption, of somebody using their voice to rediscover their past, seek redemption, and to understand their mistakes, and ultimately come to terms with their power as an individual to find a way and a will to live—and thrive. Poignant, intimate, and powerful, this book will resonate with anyone who has found themselves lost in the darkness, thinking there's no way out. Ultimately, Mena's story proves that, no matter how hopeless it may seem, there's always a light at the end.

Reviews:

"A powerful read that – much like Sharon Stone’s The Beauty Of Living Twice – will make you see its author in a different, perhaps more forgiving light."  ― Total Film

"In this haunting debut. . . .Suvari reclaims her story and will surely inspire others to do the same." ― Publisher's Weekly

Mena Suvari. Hachette, $28 (288p) ISBN 978-0306874529