NPR's Book of the Day Gisèle Pelicot’s 'A Hymn to Life' is both a memoir and an act of ultimate defiance
Feb 18, 2026
Gisèle Pelicot, memoirist and survivor who waived anonymity to demand a public trial, tells her story. She describes how the case surfaced, her dissociation and memory of happier times, and why she chose a public trial to shift shame onto perpetrators. She also reflects on accusations, the unknowable motives of her abuser, and her enduring belief in love and hope.
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Crime Discovery That Changed Everything
- Gisèle Pelicot's life changed after a man was caught filming up women's skirts and investigators uncovered crimes against her.
- Her husband had recruited men online and filmed them raping his drugged wife, revelations she recounts in A Hymn to Life.
Dissociation After Trauma
- Gisèle describes not recognizing the woman in police photos because her brain dissociated after being drugged.
- She struggled for a long time to even say the word "rape" and to accept what had been done.
Make Shame Change Sides
- Gisèle initially planned a closed trial but changed her mind to stop shame from
