Episode Details

Content warning: This episode contains discussion of sexual abuse and rape. 

For years, Gisèle Pelicot was unknowingly drugged by her husband and raped by dozens of men he invited into their home. When the case came to light, she refused anonymity and chose to face the trial publicly — a decision that stunned France. 

Now, with the publication of her memoir A Hymn to Life, her story returns to the spotlight. On today's podcast, journalist Roe McDermott reviews the book, and Paris-based reporter Elaine Cobbe joins Ciara Doherty to discuss the reaction in France and the wider cultural impact. 

A Hymn to Life by Gisèle Pelicot is published by The Bodley Head. The English-language audiobook is read by Emma Thompson.