A Hymn to Life

An emblem of resilience for women everywhere

Vogue

Gisèle has challenged the patriarchy everywhere ... She has become a symbol of strength, of endurance, of kindness, of honesty – and we will be forever grateful

Gloria Steinem

The bravest woman in the world

Daily Mirror

The only writing you should read about Gisèle’s story is her own. If you want a page-turning memoir by a lifeforce, buy it for everyone you know. It may move you to tears, but it will move you to live more

Gina Martin

A Hymn to Life is quite something - a really brave, honest and heart-rending memoir

Sarah Jessica Parker

A deeply moving and courageous memoir ... Her story offers hope, solace, and a necessary contribution to reshaping discussions of abuse and justice

Women & Home

An extraordinary memoir that inspires courage and compassion, but also crucially demands change … A Hymn to Life is truly a gift to every woman in the world, and we should thank her for her courage with all our hearts

Emma Thompson

I am in awe of Gisèle Pelicot. I have read A Hymn to Life four times. There are many emotions I would have expected to feel as I absorbed the horror of what she was subjected to … What I didn't expect to feel was hope – optimism even – and to have my faith in human nature restored

Victoria Derbyshire

I am moved beyond words by the courage and quiet strength of Madame Pelicot

Kay Burley

Madame Pelicot: what a hero

Natalie Fleet MP on The News Agents

[Madame Pelicot has] inspired women across the globe … and created a powerful legacy that will change the narrative around shame, forever

Queen Camilla

A brave woman [and] a powerful memoir

Daily Mirror

[Gisèle Pelicot] is beautiful. I say this not to comment further on her looks but to note her spirit: a palpable sense of freedom, an almost unearthly transfer of optimism to those in her midst

Gaby Wood, Vogue

Mme Pelicot has become a repository of hope and – though it has become a devalued word in the age of Instagram – an inspiration to all women across the globe

Lucy Mangan

Extraordinary … a powerful tale of a mighty woman

Daily Telegraph

Extraordinarily courageous … what makes it so compelling is that it shows what happens when an atomic bomb of cruelty erupts within a seemingly normal family … Her modest humility makes her courage all the more impressive

The Times

A unique memoir by a figure of astonishing power … alive with the kind of detail that wouldn’t look out of place in a good novel

Guardian

Extraordinary … vibrates with necessity … A Hymn to Life is novelistic and resounds with grace. The language is precise and vivid; the story reverberates with echoes and patterns … an extraordinary achievement … There is beauty, love, hope. And there is rage, loss and fear of the void beneath her feet ... Many could be enriched by this alertly human account of 70 years of life. Here is a perspective that is full, candid and instructive

Financial Times

An utterly remarkable woman

Marie Le Conte

Extraordinary ... Gisèle has completely flipped the narrative that feeds sexual violence ... There is a possibility of joy, and a possibility of harmony, that is really inspiring

Manon Garcia, author of Living With Men

By waiving her anonymity and refusing to feel shame, Gisèle paves the way for other victims to come forward ... Her extraordinary strength and dignity will have a long-lasting impact on survivors all over the world

Simone Biles

Gisèle, you are extraordinary, you are exemplary … You have changed the dial for all women

Annie Lenox

Gisèle Pelicot has made history … In waiving her right to privacy, Gisèle took a powerful stand for victims of sexual violence everywhere … Her courage and resilience leave a legacy for women all over the world

Billie Jean King

A Hymn to Life documents the story of an extraordinary woman … Very powerful

Nuala McGovern, Woman's Hour