This novel, the Brazilian author's 15th book, is about a woman who tries to kill herself, only to end up in a mental hospital where a doctor tells her she has just a few days to live.

This memoir of the relationship between a white European woman and an African Masai warrior resonated with the Swedish-born Akerman, who learned to bridge differences when she married an Italian man.

Malin Akerman, also a singer in the band the Petalstones, was given this rock 'n' roll memoir by a friend, who knew that the drummer was the only other single person in the group.

"Our school systems are flawed; not all children are getting the education they deserve," says the actress Malin Akerman, a onetime psychology major. So when friend and entrepreneur Marc Ecko passed along this report on Big Picture Learning, a movement cofounded by Littky that focuses on personalized education, she was "inspired and challenged" to take action; she now sponsors gardens at two local Los Angeles schools where children simultaneously learn about the nutritional benefits of fresh produce and how locally grown food is better for the environment. "These kids are going to rule the world," says Akerman. "It's up to us to decide how we want that world to look."

This firsthand account of a Cambodian girl sold into sexual slavery at age 12 was given to Malin Akerman by fellow actress Emmanuelle Chriqui, following a freetheslaves.net event.