THE ILLUMINATOR MEMOIR OF A HEROINE OF OUR TIME. A PUBLISHING EVENT IN 30 LANGUAGES.
One November morning, Gisèle Pelicot was called to a police station, and life as she knew it came to an end. Her husband had been caught by a supermarket security guard filming under the skirts of several women. On his computer, other devastating evidence appeared: for nearly a decade, he had been secretly drugging and raping her, and inviting strangers to their home to abuse her. Four years later, he and fifty other men were brought to trial, and Gisèle’s courage in giving up her right to anonymity made headlines worldwide. “Shame must change sides,” she declared, giving voice and hope to millions.
For the first time, with unwavering frankness and elegance, Gisèle tells her entire story, starting from that fateful morning and reliving a difficult childhood, her first love, her career, motherhood, the intimacy of her marriage before and after the shattering discovery, and the ongoing quest for happiness, even when it seems impossible, to rebuild herself. Written alongside award-winning journalist and novelist Judith Perrignon, these luminous memoirs represent a worldwide publishing event of great depth and significance.
Critics have said:
“We were afraid to open this book. [...] We closed it with double gratitude: to Gisèle Pelicot, who shows us that in 2026 you can be a global icon without subjecting your life story to a flattering scalpel; and to Judith Perrignon for the delicate way of telling it. Gisèle speaks of herself without bravado or victimhood. She asks for neither pity nor admiration. She simply reclaims her story.”
Pascale Robert-Diard, Le Monde
“A landmark book whose importance I sensed, but whose power, the strength of its writing, and above all, the way it involves you, I had not measured.”
Augustin Trapenard, La Grande Librairie
“Gisèle Pelicot went through hell and came back. But instead of suffering the flames, she used them to illuminate her life.”
Daniel Verdú, El País Semanal
“I highly recommend it. It is absolutely extraordinary.”
Emma Thompson
“It’s a journey, an adventure into the depths of an incredible soul. I recommend it.”
Blanca Portillo
“A story of courage and reflection. Memoirs with no room for victimhood, written with a joy for life.”
Marta Domínguez, RTVE
“The title is a fierce form of resistance to that way of domination. Gisèle’s joy is a way of saying: they won’t take everything from me.”
Judith Perrignon, La Grande Librairie
“A precise and beautiful book [...] about what it means to be human. [...] It radiates such optimism and vital force that reading it is a source of joy.”
Manon Garcia, Le Nouvel Obs
“A powerful chronicle written with meticulous precision [...]. In a world that has become a huge multimedia dump, this book reminds us of the simple power of storytelling.”
Alexandra Jacobs, The New York Times
“I have read this book four times. It overwhelmed me but also filled me with hope.”
Victoria Derbyshire, The Observer
“Written with overwhelming sincerity, though not raw: an admirable book.”
Johanna Adorján, Süddeutsche Zeitung
“It’s full of those kinds of details that wouldn’t be out of place in a good novel. A unique memoir.”
Emma Brockes, The Guardian
