"We can see ourselves in each of these people, and that's the point of storytelling,” Seyfried tells PEOPLE of the show, now streaming on Peacock

For Amanda Seyfried, the Peacock limited series offered a rare opportunity to play a character adapted from a book while working closely alongside the author, Liz Moore.

It still feels surreal for Philly novelist Liz Moore. It was only a year ago she was standing on the set of "Long Bright River," a TV adaptation of her Kensington-based novel inspired by her years of volunteering in the infamous open drug market.