Joe Manganiello is quick to say that his new book, “Bloodlines,” which recounts his seven-year battle with a mysterious autoimmune illness, is no celebrity memoir.

“This isn’t me at age 80 talking about all the people I slept with or didn’t sleep with or all of that stuff,” the actor explained. “It’s me opening myself up about my own struggles, in the hopes that it sheds light, or gives hope, to people who are also suffering.”

“Bloodlines” starts out like a heist film, except instead of a thrilling escape with the crown jewels, Manganiello was trying to pull off a much bigger con. He was convincing the world he hadn’t just spent the previous few months recovering from major surgery after nearly dying, while his newlywed wife had to make frantic life-or-death medical decisions for him.

He also was trying to hide the colostomy bag he was wearing, uncertain whether he would ever be able to have it removed. All while continuing to act in blockbuster superhero films, where his well-known athleticism was a requirement.

“This is me coming out after living 10 years closeted because of the illness, pretending to be somebody else,” Manganiello said.

Manganiello’s journey to uncover the cause of his mysterious illness took him across continents and back through the branches of his own family tree, where he discovered century-old family secrets.

The story begins with his great-grandmother, who fled Armenia during World War I after a genocide wiped out her village and family. Manganiello’s vivid storytelling paints a dramatic tale that unfolds across the pages like a movie, illustrating how the past influences the present.

 Contrary to the picture painted by sensationalized tabloid coverage, Manganiello’s book also reveals Manganiello’s book also reveals a heartbreaking account of a couple struggling to survive a series of devastating health battles that pushed them past their breaking point.

The challenges he and his ex-wife, Sofia Vergara, faced during his seven-year medical battle left them emotionally exhausted.

Manganiello writes that, at one point, he was living in a haze of pain medication and medical marijuana, convinced he was dying.

“I was completely unaware Sofia was crying openly in front of my publicist over my skeletal appearance.”

After he went into remission, he realized that while he might have survived, his marriage had not.

But Manganiello sees a silver lining in his struggle.

“One of them is that it’s a hard reboot in just about every possible way. I was forced, because of the illness, to let go. It was like every molecule in my body was detonated all at once. The book is about me putting those pieces back together around the essence of the person that I actually am,” he said.

As he came to grips with his illness, he also realized he wasn’t alone.

“I think there’s a lot of people out there suffering from a host of things that are unexplainable. There’s a communion that goes along with understanding that other people struggle.”

Being able to return home to Mt. Lebanon has been a blessing for Manganiello.

The entertainment industry has undergone significant changes over the past decade. Manganiello said that when he and his fiancée, Caitlin O’Connor, realized they could live near their families in Western Pennsylvania while continuing their film and media careers, they were elated.

“I just love the people here,” he said, adding that he feels a kinship with other Pittsburghers, who treat him like a neighbor and engage him in everyday conversations.

“I want people to feel like we can have a real conversation because I feel like I’ve had nothing but almost exclusively small talk for the past 10 years,” he said.

“Life changes, life moves, and that’s really what the book’s about,” Manganiello said. “You know, all the leaves had to come off of the tree because new ones needed to grow, or maybe the ones that were supposed to be there needed to grow.”

“I finally have my roots in the right place, and there’s leaves back on the tree, and I’m where I’m supposed to be,” he said.

The sold-out Pittsburgh launch of “Bloodlines” will be held in conjunction with White Whale Books at First Unitarian Church in Shadyside on Oct. 20. The event includes a signed hardcover copy of the book.

“Bloodlines” is available through major booksellers and online at https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Bloodlines/Joe-Manganiello/9781668207109.