A Hymn to Life by Gisèle Pelicot

Gisèle Pelicot’s A Hymn to Life is a book that stays with you long after you finish reading it. More than a memoir, it is a powerful reflection on survival, courage, and the long, often brutal path to justice.

Pelicot writes about the moment her life was shattered: discovering that her husband of fifty years had been drugging her and permitting dozens of men to sexually assault her while she was unconscious. The scale of the betrayal is almost impossible to comprehend. Yet this book is not only about the violence inflicted on her, but about the resolve she showed in confronting it, the legal and media circus she faced and ultimately her courage to make sure her assailants would appear before the justice system.  

When I told people I was reviewing the book for NZ Booklovers, I was met with many of the same questions I had asked myself when the case first appeared in the media. How could she not have known what her husband was doing? What exactly had happened to her? And how does someone survive such a horrific ordeal? Pelicot addresses each of these questions with honesty and insight. As her story unfolds, it becomes clear that her husband’s profound disregard for her, combined with the level of control he exerted over her life, left her doubting her own reality. Before police revealed the truth, she had begun to question her sanity, unable to understand the gaps in her memory or the growing sense that something was deeply wrong.

A central and deeply compelling part of the story is Pelicot’s experience of the justice system. Pelicot made the extraordinary decision to waive anonymity and stand publicly as a complainant, fully aware of the scrutiny, judgment, and personal cost this would bring. Court proceedings were lengthy and confronting, requiring her to relive the abuse through evidence, testimony, and the clinical language of the law. Still, she persisted. Her determination ensured accountability, and 50 men were ultimately convicted—an outcome that came about because she refused to be silenced.

Her writing is calm, clear, and deeply human. She moves between memories of her past and the harsh realities of the present, showing how ordinary moments are forever altered by trauma. The emotional contradictions are striking, ensuring her husband has warm clothing in prison, shielding her family from a relentless media storm, and wandering the streets with his dog, numb and disoriented, trying to understand how her life unravelled.

Pelicot never portrays herself as heroic. Instead, her strength lies in her honesty and persistence. A Hymn to Life is confronting and painful, but also hopeful—a testament to the possibility of reclaiming dignity, voice, and justice after profound betrayal and to one woman’s extraordinary courage.

Reviewer: Bryan Ward

Penguin

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Here in New Zealand, you can speak anonymously with trained sexual harm specialists through Safe to Talk – Kōrero mai ka ora, the national sexual harm helpline. They can listen, explain your options, and connect you with local support—without pressure to report to the police.

Call: 0800 044 334

Text: 4334

Webchat / Email: safetotalk.nz | support@safetotalk.nz

Available 24/7, free and confidential.You can report sexual abuse at any time—days, months, or years later. You can also speak with Police for advice without making a formal complaint. You may request a male or female officer and bring a support person with you.