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Read an exclusive extract from A Hymn to Life by Gisèle Pelicot

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Gisèle Pelicot

Natasha Lehrer

Ruth Diver

Extraordinary … vibrates with necessity … A Hymn to Life is novelistic and resounds with grace. The language is precise and vivid; the story reverberates with echoes and patterns … an extraordinary achievement … There is beauty, love, hope. And there is rage, loss and fear of the void beneath her feet ... Many could be enriched by this alertly human account of 70 years of life. Here is a perspective that is full, candid and instructive

Extraordinarily courageous … what makes it so compelling is that it shows what happens when an atomic bomb of cruelty erupts within a seemingly normal family … Her modest humility makes her courage all the more impressive

A unique memoir by a figure of astonishing power … 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

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

Extraordinary … a powerful tale of a mighty woman

An emblem of resilience for women everywhere

The bravest woman in the world ... A powerful and devastating memoir

[A Hymn to Life] is gripping, it is heart-breaking, it is beautifully written

A Hymn to Life is a reminder of organised narrative’s simple power ... Replete with details of modest domesticity in modern France, A Hymn to Life is also a rousing feminist manifesto ... It seeks a proper transfer of shame from sex-crime victims to their perpetrators, and the perpetrators’ enablers

Staggering ... A lyrical book about monstrous events, a compelling exploration of what it feels like to hold two existences in your brain at once ... There is only whatever you do to put one foot in front of the other. There is only what it takes to survive

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 ... Ultimately, Ms Pelicot offers a cautiously hopeful message about how people can overcome trauma to forge a new life ... A commendable heroine

A Hymn to Life is not, finally, 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 quiet violence we enact when we demand that survivors perform their pain in ways that make the rest of us comfortable ... What A Hymn to Life ultimately offers is a refusal of that reduction

A Hymn to Life is an astonishing book – unflinchingly honest, open to self-interrogation, evocative, determined … Pelicot’s honesty is breath-taking, and it helps make A Hymn to Life all the more revelatory as a sociological document

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

A paean to dignity in the face of the unspeakable … Gisèle is more of a role model than she knows

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

In matter-of-fact, defiant prose, [Gisèle] insists that the way we talk about rape, and they 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

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

A living testament to a woman whose spirit will not be broken … Gripping ... a redoubtable woman with a remarkable mind, who writes throughout with clear-headed, self-possessed precision. She lets the story speak for itself ... Not a single word is wasted or unnecessary … Fearless … It is this indomitable, insubmissive spirit which makes [Gisèle] such a wonder and an inspiration

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

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

[A] brave survival story … essential … the most astonishing aspect is how Gisèle has succeeded in rebuilding herself and, wonderfully, discovering love again … A Hymn to Life is proof of resilience, both hers and humanity’s

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

A Hymn to Life is quite something - a really brave, honest and heart-rending memoir

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, and we should thank her for her courage with all our hearts

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

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

Gisèle Pelicot is one of my biggest heroes ... I will always keep her words close to my heart: shame must shift to the perpetrators. Thank you for holding your head high

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

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

Makes you rage and grieve for Gisèle and womankind, but also leaves you with a feeling of purest admiration. The book goes to the darkest places, but shines such a light, and the light is all hers. She is – or through circumstance, becomes – the most extraordinary person ... I really, really strongly urge you to read the whole book. It's remarkable, a book for our age, urgent and so important

A courageous, inspirational and powerful read

One of the most harrowing books I’ve ever read, but essential

Intimate ... What A Hymn to Life sets out to do is strip away some of the gilt from the monument, to bring Gisele Pelicot down to a tangible scale. In so doing, a more nuanced, richly layered portrait emerges

Magnificent ... Gisèle has such an energetic dignity and her book A Hymn to Life is astounding

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

Pelicot's courageous account of her refusal to be shamed by her years of rape and abuse ... should be read by everyone. Her resilience is inspirational ... Her story shows how patriarchy, misogyny and sexual violence remain alive and well in so many aspects of society. All of us should fight against that

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

What a woman … [Gisèle] has more than survived: she has triumphed. In the book, you really do get a sense not just of her courage but of her force of personality and her desire to reclaim her life … incredibly powerful … A Hymn to Life is a good, good book and needs to be read

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

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

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

Gisèle, you are extraordinary, you are exemplary … You have changed the dial for all women

This is a book of rare dignity and quiet force ... A profoundly moving testimony – precise, restrained and ultimately life-affirming

Gisèle’s story, told movingly in her new memoir A Hymn to Life, delves into betrayal, brutality, family fractures and the long, uncertain path toward healing

[Gisèle Pelicot] is beautiful. I say this not to comment further on her looks but to note her spirit: a palpable sense of freedom, an almost unearthly transfer of optimism to those in her midst

After decades of betrayal and a trial that made her an icon, Pelicot writes a tender and unflinching memoir about survival, resilience and her decision to be joyful

Deeply vulnerable ... 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 when, many times, her retellings of her abusers' cruelty turn unbearable

A Hymn to Life documents the story of an extraordinary woman … Very powerful

Gisèle's words are a balm to survivors the world over

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

I am moved beyond words by the courage and quiet strength of Madame Pelicot

[An] incredibly dignified woman ... It is exactly this position, of being a woman born exactly halfway through the 20th century ... that makes her book particularly fascinating

A work of sophisticated integration: Pelicot shifts between the ongoing investigation and her memories of childhood, youth and married life ... Pelicot's account of the marriage must inevitably be a story about her own misjudgement. 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

A heartrending and courageous account of the ultimate betrayal

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

Inspirational ... Gisèle's courage in telling her story will change women's lives around the world

Gisèle's bravery and determination to use her voice to help others is truly inspiring

Remarkable … [A Hymn to Life] is a testimony to resilience, both of her and the human spirit

A Hymn to Life is a poignant account of all Gisèle has endured, told on her own terms. It does not shy away from self-reflection; it is unrelenting and both beautifully and painfully honest

Gisèle became a feminist cause célèbre after she waived anonymity ... The most remarkable thing is how Gisèle has managed to put herself back together and, delightfully, find love. She describes it as a hymn to life, but it is a testimony to resilience, both of her and the human spirit

The courage and dignity of Gisèle Pelicot should inspire us all

[An] extraordinarily powerful memoir by a heroine of our times, whose story inspires change, compassion and courage

A Hymn to Life turns an awful crime into an inspirational story – and forces us to confront what made it possible

Should be read by everyone. Her resilience is inspirational

Ms Pelicot emerges as an accidental heroine. What could be a dark, depressing chronicle is propelled forward by the force of her courage

Shame has to Change Sides

The extraordinarily powerful memoir by a heroine of our times, whose story inspires change, compassion and courage. 
 
One November day, Gisèle Pelicot was called to a local police station and life as she knew it ended. Her husband of fifty years had been caught by a supermarket guard filming up women’s skirts. But on his computer was shattering evidence: for nearly a decade, he had been secretly drugging and raping her and inviting dozens of strangers into their home to abuse her. 
 
Four years later, he and fifty other men were put on trial and Gisèle’s courage in waiving her right to anonymity made global headlines. ‘Shame must change sides,’ she declared, giving voice and hope to millions. Her words became a rallying cry and her decision marked a turning point in public feeling about sexual violence. 
 
For the first time, and with unwavering honesty and grace, she describes a difficult childhood, first love, her career and motherhood. It is a life in determined search of happiness, both before and after her devastating discovery. She is an ordinary person who faces extraordinary catastrophe, whose example changes the world. 
 
A Hymn to Life is an unforgettable testament and a promise. Its message is one of defiance and renewal – that victims have no reason to feel ashamed; that even after unimaginable betrayal we can go on; that the colour can come back to life. Ultimately, Gisèle Pelicot emerges with a renewed passion and reverence for living, and for love.

Gisèle Pelicot

Praise for A Hymn to Life

Extraordinary … vibrates with necessity … A Hymn to Life is novelistic and resounds with grace. The language is precise and vivid; the story reverberates with echoes and patterns … an ...

Extraordinarily courageous … what makes it so compelling is that it shows what happens when an atomic bomb of cruelty erupts within a seemingly normal family … Her modest humility makes her courage ...

A unique memoir by a figure of astonishing power … 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 t ...

Extraordinary … vibrates with necessity … A Hymn to Life is novelistic and resounds with grace. The language is precise and vivid; the story reverberates with echoes and patterns … an ...

Extraordinarily courageous … what makes it so compelling is that it shows what happens when an atomic bomb of cruelty erupts within a seemingly normal family … Her modest humility makes her courage ...

A unique memoir by a figure of astonishing power … 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 t ...

Extraordinary … vibrates with necessity … A Hymn to Life is novelistic and resounds with grace. The language is precise and vivid; the story reverberates with echoes and patterns … an ...

Extraordinarily courageous … what makes it so compelling is that it shows what happens when an atomic bomb of cruelty erupts within a seemingly normal family … Her modest humility makes her courage ...

A unique memoir by a figure of astonishing power … 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 t ...

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Read an exclusive extract from A Hymn to Life by Gisèle Pelicot

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