‘A Hymn to Life: Shame Has to Change Sides’ Review: Trauma, Perseverance, and Finding a New Self in the Midst of Trial

It is difficult to describe Gisèle Pelicot’s story in normal words, but in her new memoir, “A Hymn to Life: Shame Has to Change Sides,” she incorporates flashbacks from her life to create the horror of what would become known as the infamous Pelicot trial.

“A Hymn to Life” is Pelicot’s personal account that captures the details of her interpersonal relationships, including her introduction to her ex-husband Dominique Pelicot, the reconstruction of her life following Dominique’s arrest and trial, and revelations of his marital abuse. For nearly a decade, Dominique would drug Pelicot at night, assault her, and invite over 72 men to take advantage of his wife in her unconscious state. His crimes were uncovered after he was arrested for another incident, where his computer revealed the photo and video footage he had taken of the abuse. The memoir illustrates her path to moving forward in light of her trauma, depicting the deep social pain left on her family and her own decision to waive her right to anonymity during the trial.

Pelicot’s story has been told in a variety of manners on the news. It has been shared through the widespread television coverage, reports, and podcasts of her husband’s trial in France in 2024. This memoir is one of the first places where her own voice dominates the narrative, making it highly compelling due to its candid nature.

“A Hymn to Life” provides a surprisingly fast-moving pace for an account of deeply personal trauma, especially events of which Pelicot does not have full memory. It depicts a life that continues in the midst of tragedy.

In a positive and effective manner, Pelicot proves that life stops for nothing. This belief manifests in the way that Pelicot continues to describe her life in spaces that seem familiar while navigating through a maze of struggles: moving homes and spaces as a grandparent, dealing with the financial struggles caused by impending trials, and navigating public vulnerability.

Pelicot frames the narrative simply. Her way of writing relies on shorter sentences, and the reduction of complexity in her language aids the narrative. This style allows the reader to feel like Pelicot herself is explaining the story through her own voice, adding to its depth. Readers intently watch her mind move back and forth, depicting her own changing ideas as she moves from the past to the future.

An aspect of Pelicot’s writing that stands out as extremely poignant is the nostalgia she feels towards her past. Pelicot talks about the tragic loss of her mother in her youth, the teenage sweetness of her early relationship with her ex-husband, the financial struggles throughout her marriage, and the peace that she expected in retirement. She reflects on these aspects of her idyllic, yet complicated, world in vivid details. This framing is necessary to her story because it provides the full picture.

However, Pelicot’s memoir quickly turns from heartwarming to heartbreaking. Within the first chapter, she describes a scene of marital normalcy, describing how she prepared her husband’s clothes ready for his initial visit to the police, following a local incident where he was found filming up the skirts of 3 women. The narrative quickly moves forward to the harrowing revelation of her own abuse at the hands of that same man. The juxtaposition of these ideas gives the novel the sense of a natural passing of time, which reflects the time passing in Pelicot’s life. It feels as though she is there to narrate her story, which gives her voice more power than the news reports and rumors spread by the general public.

Pelicot’s writing is very focused on the individuals present in her story. Many individuals from Pelicot’s life populate the book, whether that is her children, grandchildren, close friends, or even her ex-husband. This cast reflects the life that Pelicot lived as a mother and wife, which makes the story she is telling one of loss and change as well. “A Hymn to Life” depicts Pelicot as having to renavigate her own story, which adds to the book’s goal of illuminating the reality that has been left out of the media’s narrative.

However, the memoir feels a bit repetitive, which can, at times, take away from the main points of what Pelicot is trying to say. Passages swing through specific events or ideas repeatedly. On the one hand, this narration reflects the intrusive and never-ending thinking that occurs after a difficult situation. Still, the repetition seems unnecessary and detracts from the story’s overall picture.

In essence, “A Hymn to Life” takes the reader into the reality of a life that is completely overtaken by a trauma one cannot remember, yet Pelicot offers a way to move forward with hope and drive.

—Staff writer Neeraja S. Kumar can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on X @neerajasrikumar.