AN INSTANT INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER

“An emblem of resilience for women everywhere.” ―Vogue

“An extraordinary memoir that inspires courage and compassion, but also crucially demands change. . . . A Hymn to Life is truly a gift to every woman in the world.” —Emma Thompson

“A rousing feminist manifesto. . . . [A Hymn to Life] seeks a proper transfer of shame from sex-crime victims to their perpetrators, and the perpetrators’ enablers” —The New York Times Book Review

“Extraordinary. . . . A Hymn to Life is an astonishing book—unflinchingly honest, open to self-interrogation, evocative, determined. . . . Pelicot’s honesty is breathtaking.” ―The Atlantic

“Staggering. . . . A lyrical book about monstrous events, a compelling exploration of what it feels like to hold two existences in your brain at once.” —The Washington Post

“Alive with the kind of detail that wouldn’t look out of place in a good novel. . . . Pelicot's riveting account of her ordeal refuses to conform to any agenda but her own.” ―The Guardian

“A Hymn to Life is quite something—a really brave, honest and heart-rending memoir.” —Sarah Jessica Parker

“I read A Hymn to Life in two days, I couldn’t put it down. . . . It left me speechless. . . . [Madame Pelicot has] inspired women across the globe . . . and created a powerful legacy that will change the narrative around shame, forever.” —Queen Camilla

“The only writing you should read about Gisèle’s story is her own. If you want a page-turning memoir by a lifeforce, buy it for everyone you know. It may move you to tears, but it will move you to live more.” —Gina Martin

“Gisèle has challenged the patriarchy everywhere. . . . She has become a symbol of strength, of endurance, of kindness, of honesty—and we will be forever grateful.” —Gloria Steinem

“A Hymn to Life is not . . . a book about collapse. Nor is it a story of triumphant overcoming. It is something more complex and necessary: a work about memory, identity, fracture and the quiet violence we enact when we demand that survivors perform their pain in ways that make the rest of us comfortable.” —The Irish Times

“A paean to dignity in the face of the unspeakable.” ―Evening Standard

“An extraordinary memoir. . . . Pelicot recounts a lifetime with all its longing and pain. . . . Here is a perspective that is full, candid and instructive.” —Financial Times

“Stirring. . . . What could be a dark and depressing chronicle propels forward with the force of Ms. Pelicot’s quiet courage and instinct for self-reflection.” —The Economist

“[Pelicot] has written a book that’s extraordinary both for the story it tells and the acuity with which it’s told. . . . A powerful tale of a mighty woman.” —The Telegraph

“A work of sophisticated integration: Pelicot shifts between the ongoing investigation and her memories of childhood, youth, and married life. The two tracks regularly converge as she pauses to consider a distant memory in light of her new knowledge. Pelicot’s account of the marriage must inevitably be a story about her own misjudgment. She takes possession of this devastating central fact with calm authority, her narrative voice a fitting counterpart to her much-noted composure at the trial.” —Elaine Blair,  The New York Review of Books

“The bravest woman in the world. . . . A powerful and devastating memoir.” —The Daily Mirror

“In matter-of-fact, defiant prose, [Gisèle Pelicot] insists that the way we talk about rape, and the way men talk about women, matters. . . . The memoir is an act of rebellion against what happened. . . . It is the end of silence, unconsciousness, forgetting, unknowing. It is the start of consciousness; the start of change.” ―The Observer

“A living testament to a woman whose spirit will not be broken . . . who writes throughout with clear-headed, self-possessed precision. Not a single word is wasted or unnecessary. . . . Fearless. . . . It is this indomitable, insubmissive spirit which makes [Gisèle] such a wonder and an inspiration.” ―The Independent

“Deeply vulnerable. . . . Yet for all the monstrousness revealed in Pelicot’s story, her steadfast courage and optimism that she will persevere acts as a buoy, reeling the reader back with her own sense of hope for the future.” —USA Today

“Pelicot writes a tender and unflinching memoir about survival, resilience, and her decision to be joyful. . . . The text is striking in its dignity and delicacy, portraying a woman who refuses hatred and anger. A woman of astonishing strength.” —ELLE

"This is a book of rare dignity and quiet force ... A profoundly moving testimony—precise, restrained and ultimately life-affirming." ―Le Monde

“Gripping.” —Vanity Fair

“A heartrending and courageous account of the ultimate betrayal.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Gisèle’s humility and courage elevates A Hymn to Life. . . . What makes it so compelling is that it shows what happens when an atomic bomb of cruelty erupts within a seemingly normal family. . . . The book’s translators, Natasha Lehrer and Ruth Diver, have done an excellent job of capturing Pelicot’s tone of determined control and occasional broken anguish.” —The Sunday Times

“Pelicot presents her story like a well-organized crime novel, detailing the twin tragedies of her life—her mother’s death when Pelicot was 9 and her husband’s 2020 arrest for drugging her and filming dozens of men raping her over the course of 10 years—with a cool focus and unflagging energy . . . Pelicot does not spare the details of the case. . . . By attempting to put the unimaginable into measured, precise language, Pelicot reveals a primal need to tell her story as she experienced it, and illustrates a grace in accepting that some contradictions cannot be untangled.” —Julie Kosin, New York Magazine

“With matter-of-fact precision, A Hymn to Life powerfully chronicles the shock of discovering her husband's sex crimes, and the rallying cry that followed.” ―The New York Times

“I am in awe of Gisèle Pelicot. I have read A Hymn to Life four times. There are many emotions I would have expected to feel as I absorbed the horror of what she was subjected to. . . . What I didn’t expect to feel was hope—optimism even—and to have my faith in human nature restored.” —Victoria Derbyshire

“An astoundingly brave memoir.” —Kristin Scott Thomas

“A deeply moving and courageous memoir. . . . Her story offers hope, solace, and a necessary contribution to reshaping discussions of abuse and justice. . . . This memoir is a testament and delivers a promise that victims have no reason to feel ashamed.” ―Women & Home

“Searing, unforgettable, and strangely beautiful. . . . A Hymn to Life challenges preconceived notions of ‘appropriate’ responses to both sexual violence and disbelief. It tells the story of how a woman held two opposing truths in her hands—the peaceful existence she led by day and the horrifying violence she was unknowingly subjected to by night—in order to piece her shattered life back together in the face of one of the most heinous sexual-abuse cases in modern history.” —Air Mail

“[A Hymn to Life] stopped me in my tracks. It is an homily for the here and now. . . . To read [Pelicot’s] words is life changing.” —The Yorkshire Post

“A remarkable tale of survival. . . . Compelling and moving.” —The Conversation

“A Hymn to Life is proof of resilience. . . . The most astonishing aspect is how Gisèle has succeeded in rebuilding herself and, wonderfully, discovering love again. She characterises it as a hymn to life, though it stands as proof of resilience, both hers and humanity’s.” —The Mirror

“Gisèle's words are a balm to survivors the world over.” ―Glamour

“A powerful tapestry of Pelicot’s life. . . . At once courageous and grimly illuminating. . . . Though there is unfathomable horror recounted in Pelicot’s memoir, it feels important to note there is more to it than that. . . . What comes through is not just her preternatural strength but her enduring optimism.” ―iNews

“Mme Pelicot’s powerful book leaves no stone unturned, detailing her life before, during and after the court case that captured the world. The most incredible takeaway? That she refused to let the horror she endured dampen her faith in people.” ―Grazia UK

“The figurehead of a worldwide movement. . . . A feminist icon. . . . Gisèle has proven herself to be someone with the inner strength to rise when faced with adversity.” ―Sunday Independent

“Not only does Pelicot want to use her story to give others strength to stand up to their rapists, she also wants survivors to know that they can rebuild their lives. . . . Finding love and happiness again is remarkable after what destroyed her life.” —Christina Lamb, Sunday Times

“This is a book full of hope, a book that looks towards the future. . . . Gisèle, you are absolutely remarkable. . . . A Hymn to Life is such a powerful read, with a great message.” —Lorraine Kelly, ITV

“By waiving her anonymity and refusing to feel shame, Gisèle paves the way for other victims to come forward. . . . Her extraordinary strength and dignity will have a long-lasting impact on survivors all over the world.” —Simone Biles

“Gisèle Pelicot has made history. . . . In waiving her right to privacy, Gisèle took a powerful stand for victims of sexual violence everywhere. . . . Her courage and resilience leave a legacy for women all over the world.” —Billie Jean King

“Gisèle, you are extraordinary, you are exemplary. . . . You have changed the dial for all women.” —Annie Lennox

“In addition to the many lessons Gisèle’s book teaches us about the nature and impact of abuse, it also left me with an overwhelming sense of hope. . . . She has become the face and voice of resistance, bravery and hope.” —Farah Nazeer, Women’s Aid CEO

“Appalling and uplifting in equal measure. Her account of why she changed her mind about a closed hearing is particularly compelling. . . . What a remarkable woman.” —Lady Hale

“Mme Pelicot has become a repository of hope and—though it has become a devalued word in the age of Instagram—an inspiration to all women across the globe.” —Lucy Mangan

“I am moved beyond words by the courage and quiet strength of Madame Pelicot.” —Kay Burley

“An utterly remarkable woman.” —Marie Le Conte

“Extraordinary. . . . Gisèle has completely flipped the narrative that feeds sexual violence. . . . There is a possibility of joy, and a possibility of harmony, that is really inspiring.” —Manon Garcia