“Hercules” star Kevin Sorbo will speak at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec.15 at the Jewish Community Center Staenberg Family Complex, 2 Millstone Campus Drive, about his newly released memoir, “True Strength: My Journey from Hercules to Mere Mortal and How Nearly Dying Saved My Life.” Presented by the St. Louis Jewish Book Festival and sponsored by St. Luke’s Hospital, the evening will include a talk by Sorbo, an audience Q&A and a book signing.

In his memoir, Sorbo reveals how a series of debilitating strokes at the height of his career changed his life and ultimately redefined his true measure of strength and success. Sorbo’s book will be for sale at the event. Tickets are $15 and may be charged at 314-442-3299; ordered at www.brownpapertickets.com or purchased at the JCC’s Box Office in the Arts & Education Building in Creve Coeur. Admission to the event is free for Festival Series Plus Ticket holders.

In addition to starring on TV’s “Hercules” and Gene Rodenberry’s “Andromeda,” Sorbo was a model and an athlete. A sudden health crisis left him partially blind and incapacitated at just 38 years old.

“True Strength” is a story of transformation, persistence and hope in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Through this honest account of personal tragedy and triumph, Sorbo hopes to help those who have suffered an acute illness or a serious setback in life and are now struggling to find their way back.