Description


From the actor known for Skins and Games of Thrones, a deeply intimate, shockingly honest memoir about acting, fame, mental illness and the struggle to leave a cult-like organisation whose belief in magic shattered Hannah’s reality.

In 2017, Hannah Murray was a successful actor whose career had taken her to Hollywood and given her the opportunity to act with A list stars and Oscar-winning directors. But as the daily costs of acting grew, from the degradations of auditions to repeating violent scenes over and over, Hannah found herself searching for something to make her feel better. One day, a reiki healer promises her a new kind of treatment, a kind of magic, and all of a sudden Hannah’s life is changed.

Back in London, she becomes increasingly involved with the organisation behind the magic, an organisation whose charismatic leader, promises of secret knowledge, and increasingly complex rituals, are seductive, cult-like – and ultimately destructive, as Hannah finds herself on a week-long course from her friends and family - and her sanity falls apart. Detained in hospital, she struggles to understand the difference between what’s real, and what’s imagined. The result is a propulsive, shockingly honest, and extraordinarily intimate portrayal of a mind taken over the edge.

From the outer edges of fame, through Hollywood film sets and London parties, Hannah’s life has slowly moved from that of a successful starlet to that of a young woman seduced by the magical thinking of an organisation that promises health and happiness beyond her wildest dreams, but her reality becomes far more disturbing than she could ever have imagined.

Shocking, intimate and compulsive, 
The Make-Believe is an ultimately uplifting and inspiring story of empathy, resilience and the power of belief.

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The Make-Believe

Penguin
Released28/05/2026Catalogue Number9781529155211
In stock ready for immediate dispatchDispatches Sun 7 Jun - Mon 8 Jun
  • Free shipping for Club members or orders over £75
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signed by Hannah Murray
Signed Edition
Signed Copy
Released28/05/2026Catalogue Number9781529155211signedCustomer Limit2
In stock at local storeDispatches Tue 9 Jun - Thu 11 Jun
  • Free shipping for Club members or orders over £75
  • Free Click & Collect from our stores
  • Trackable shipping and extra secure packaging to protect your order