Hymn to Life – Pelicot Gisele (2026)

This memoir recounts the sexual assault that rocked the world and offers a courageous woman’s rallying call for “shame to change sides.” One November day, Gisele 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 his computer contained shattering evidence: for nearly a decade, he had secretly drugged and raped her and invited dozens of strangers into their home to abuse her. Four years later, he and fifty other men stood trial, while Gisele’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 attitudes toward sexual violence. For the first time, she describes with unwavering honesty and grace her difficult childhood, first love, career, and motherhood, as well as her determined search for happiness before and after her devastating discovery. An ordinary person facing extraordinary catastrophe, she ultimately emerges with a renewed passion and reverence for living and for love. A Hymn to Life is a testament to the belief that victims have no reason to feel ashamed, that life can continue after unimaginable betrayal, and that colour can always return. The book has been named one of the best books of 2026 by The Observer, The Telegraph, The Guardian, the Financial Times, The New York Times, the Daily Mirror, The Irish Times, GQ, Lit Hub, the BBC, and others.