Bodley Head A Hymn to Life: Shame has to Change Sides - Hardcover

For the very first time, Gisèle Pelicot shares her story in this courageous and heart-rending memoir, A Hymn to Life: Shame has to Change Sides. This unforgettable testament recounts the devastating discovery of her husband's secret life—drugging and raping her and inviting dozens of strangers into their home for abuse over nearly a decade—and her subsequent fight for justice.

Gisèle Pelicot's decision to waive anonymity during the trial of her husband and fifty other men made global headlines. Her declaration, ‘Shame must change sides,’ became a rallying cry, marking a turning point in public feeling about sexual violence. This book details her life before the catastrophe, her unwavering honesty through the trial, and her determined search for happiness afterward.

• Courageous memoir detailing the sexual assault that rocked the world and the fight for change.
• Told by Gisèle Pelicot, who became a global voice for victims of sexual violence.
• Chronicles an ordinary person facing extraordinary catastrophe and emerging with a renewed passion for living.
• Praised by Sarah Jessica Parker, Emma Thompson, and Gina Martin as brave, honest, and inspiring.
• Named a Best Book of 2026 by The Observer, The Telegraph, The Guardian, and others.

• Author: Gisèle Pelicot
• Contributors: Ruth Diver (translator), Natasha Lehrer (translator)
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English, French
• Publisher: Bodley Head
• Publication Date: 17 Feb. 2026
• Print Length: 256 pages
• ISBN-10: 184792896X
• ISBN-13: 978-1847928962
• Dimensions: 165 x 242 x 25mm (16.5 x 24.2 x 2.5 cm)
• Weight: 442 g

A Hymn to Life is an unforgettable testament that victims have no reason to feel ashamed and that life can return to color even after unimaginable betrayal.