The Make-Believe - by Hannah Murray (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

From Skins and Games of Thrones star Hannah Murray, a "genuinely jaw-dropping" (Vogue) memoir about fame, mental illness, and the struggle to leave a shadowy wellness organization whose belief in magic shattered her reality.

"A frank and often darkly funny exploration of the convergence of hedonism with the self-help industry."--The Guardian

I lost my mind. I lost my self. I got them back. But they are different . . .

From her breakout role as a teen actor on the cult TV show Skins, to critically acclaimed movies, to the smash hit Game of Thrones, Hannah Murray built a career in Hollywood cracking open her own psychological foundations and pushing her body to its limits. But one day, the line between make-believe and reality disappeared, and she found herself confined to a psych ward, dangerously in love with the leader of a shadowy wellness organization, and believing in magic. How she got there--and how she managed to rebuild her life--is the heart of this gripping, powerful memoir that asks: How far would you go to find enlightenment?

For Hannah, it was deceptively easy to fall down the rabbit hole. As she struggled with her mental health, she sought help in the form of wellness and self-care. After an eye-opening session with an energy healer, Hannah was introduced to an organization that she was told would bring her further spiritual rewards. Enthralled by its charismatic leader and his teachings of a world filled with magic and meaning, Hannah found herself sucked into a rigorous practice involving high control and financial outlay. And as her sense of reality began to slip, eventually resulting in her hospitalization and diagnosis with bipolar disorder, she realized she had fully ceded control of her life to this mysterious organization. And, she thought, as she reckoned with the Hollywood career that conditioned her to give her body and soul over to others, maybe she'd been doing that her whole life.

Both a cautionary tale and a cry for radical empathy, Hannah's story of learning to trust herself will resonate with anyone who has struggled to find agency. The Make-Believe is a probing exploration of womanhood and mental health, and a search for the healing that comes when we reclaim our own narratives.

Review Quotes

"A frank and often darkly funny exploration of the convergence of hedonism with the self-help industry that led [Murray] headlong into 'the underbelly of the wellness and spiritual world.'"--The Guardian

"Completely absorbing. . . . Beautifully written, harrowing, unexpectedly funny in parts and genuinely jaw-dropping throughout . . . I haven't stopped thinking about The Make-Believe since I finished it."--Vogue

"The Make-Believe is a harrowing read, as Murray navigates a predatory unnamed wellness cult in the lead-up to her collapse, but it's not a punishing experience. Murray--like the characters she once played--is mercurial and wry, and The Make-Believe is fearless in its depiction of psychosis and criticisms toward the world of wellness."--Vulture

"[An] extraordinary memoir . . . Astonishing and brilliant."--The Telegraph

"Impressive . . . The immersive feel of [Murray's] writing allows for a deft bit of trickery. It is so claustrophobic as to make you feel like you're stuck in someone's mind with their thoughts pressing up against you, and with no footing on solid ground."--The Observer

"[Hannah Murray] proves that she's a writer as much as she is an actor, masterfully bringing the reader with her as she gets sucked into a wellness cult . . . [Her] raw, honest take on mental illness stands out in a sea of books that barely touch on its actual effects."--Real Simple

"The Make-Believe is one of the most addictive [books] I've read in a long time. . . . A compelling mental health memoir about spiritual cults, vulnerability, and fame."--Emma Ganon, The Hyphen

"In The Make-Believe, Hannah Murray traces the subtle architecture of belief: how need becomes trust, and trust becomes surrender. What makes this memoir so remarkable is what Murray resists--she does not cast herself as a victim or offer easy lessons. Instead, she reveals, moment by moment, how a person in search of healing can gradually lose herself. The power lies in the restraint, in the questions left unanswered."--Ruth Wariner, New York Times bestselling author of The Sound of Gravel

"Utterly exceptional memoir . . . a lyrical, powerful examination of what it means to be 'well.'"--Elizabeth Day

"A memoir of real literary power that wields a writer's full tool kit, with finger-biting dramatic irony, vivid sensory evocation, and pithy statements of uncomfortable truth. . . . The premise is fascinating, but her execution is what makes this story uniquely compelling."--Naoise Dolan, author of Exciting Times

"I was deeply moved by this vital, brave memoir. Hannah Murray's compelling account of her experience is intensely open-hearted and lyrical, depicting just how porous the boundaries and realities of our lives can become. A stunning achievement."--Sophie Mackintosh, author of The Water Cure

"A page-turning and generous book that is intensely concerned with what it means to be human. Hannah Murray is a masterful storyteller."--Rebecca Watson, author of Little Scratch

"This book is brilliantly and beautifully written, fast-flowing, deeply felt and observed. Hannah Murray is a writer of tremendous skill and fearlessness."--Daisy Johnson, author of Sisters

"An extraordinary memoir--propulsive, immersive; like nothing I have ever read before. I read it in one day and thought about it for weeks afterwards."--Dolly Alderton, New York Times bestselling author of Good Material

"Reading The Make-Believe, I shivered as I recognized the terror and seduction entwined in Hannah Murray's story. This memoir is harrowing, yes--but it is also exquisitely written, tracing the fracture of a mind and the fierce, fragile work of reclaiming it."--Daniella Mestyanek Young, author of Uncultured

About the Author

Hannah Murray began her creative life as an actor, starring in E4's smash hit series Skins, and then appearing in HBO's cultural juggernaut Game of Thrones for seven of the show's eight seasons. Hannah has starred in numerous feature films including Detroit, directed by Oscar-winner Kathryn Bigelow. She has appeared on panels at events including San Diego Comic-Con and has spoken at Tulane University and the University of Connecticut. She has been featured in many publications worldwide, including Vogue, Interview, The Guardian, and The Independent. She has also appeared on TV shows like Conan and Good Morning America. Hannah has a BA in English from Cambridge University and an MA in Creative Non-Fiction from the University of East Anglia.