Gisèle Pelicot, the French woman who went public with her story of serial sexual assault by her husband and others over many years, will write a memoir, Penguin Press announced Thursday.
Titled A Hymn to Life, the book chronicles Pelicot’s experience after being repeatedly drugged and raped by her husband, Dominque Pelicot, between 2011 and 2020. He also invited dozens of men via a website to assault her while unconscious.
Pelicot only learned of the assaults in 2020, after her husband was arrested for taking upskirt photos of women in a supermarket. Police subsequently found images of Gisèle Pelicot’s abuse.
Last year, Dominique and 50 other men stood trial for aggravated rape, attempted rape, and sexual assault. In December all but one were convicted, with Dominique sentenced to 20 years in prison; the others were sentenced to between three and 15 years in prison.
During the trial, Pelicot waived her right to anonymity.
“I am immensely grateful for the extraordinary support I have received since the beginning of the trial,” Pelicot said in a release. “I now want to tell my story in my own words. Through this book, I hope to convey a message of strength and courage to all those who are subjected to difficult ordeals. May they never feel shame. And in time, may they even learn to savor life again and find peace.”
The memoir is slated for publication on Jan. 27, 2026, in English, French, and 20 other languages.
Mark Athitakis is a writer in Phoenix.
