A Hymn To Life: Shame Has to Change Sides by Gisele Pelicot, A Book Review

A Hymn To Life: Shame Has To Change Sides by Gisele Pelicot is a moving memoir of survival, courage, determination, and triumph.

Pelicot describes her struggle with not only accepting what happened to her, but also the gut-wrenching, emotional ride she and her children were forced to undertake as the result of her husband’s actions. The book is well-written. There is a beautiful rendering of Gisele’s childhood and early life, how she met her husband, Dominique, and the early years of their marriage. She also recaps several moves and the lives of her children.

The trial from start to finish is recapped in this memoir, from the time her husband was arrested for trying to take a picture of a woman’s private parts under her skirt to when he was convicted of rape and videotaping said rapes. Fifty-one men were found guilty. The other remaining men – about 50 or so – could not be identified in the videos.

One of the questions I had before I started reading A Hymn to Life is how the hell did she not realize she was being raped every night for almost a decade? It appears she was heavily drugged and given doses of muscle relaxers so she would not notice what was happening. There are some personal details in the book, so I will not spoil it for you.

Needless to say, what happened to Gisele Pelicot is one of the most horrific things anyone can experience. It is jarring, disorienting, and devastating. A husband, a person who promised to love and take care of you, not only rapes you over and over again, but invites other men to do the same.

Honestly, I can’t imagine a worse betrayal. It is beyond words, absolutely repugnant.

But despite all the abuse Gisele endured, she still chose love. She still has faith in people. She also did not allow herself to be viewed as a victim.

Even so, I contemplated whether it was worth my time writing a review of the book, since there is a substantial amount of information online about this case. But I gave in because I am a human rights and women’s rights activist, and my writing reflects those facts. I couldn’t just read it and move on. Everyone needs to know that things like this happen.

So enter at your own risk. I recommend this reading to anyone interested in Gisele Pelicot’s story, but especially to women. This book is a must-read for those who study feminism, violence against women, male violence, sex addiction, psychopathy, or sociopathology.

A bit about the author, Gisele Pelicot

As of July 2026, Gisele Pelicot is 73 years old. She is the recipient of numerous honors for her courage and dignity in handling her ordeal.

In an opinion poll in France, she was named the most noteworthy person of 2024. She was also honored by Time Magazine. In addition, The Independent named her the most influential woman of 2025 to mark International Women’s Day. On top of that, she was also awarded the Legion of Honor, France’s highest civic honor.

As an icon of what might be a new wave of feminism, all Gisele ever wanted to do was live a quiet life, she says. Unfortunately, that is now impossible.

To read Gisele’s A Hymn To Life: Shame Has To Change Sides, visit online bookstores.