Life as Gisèle Pelicot once knew it changed in November 2020 when she received a call from the Avignon police, asking her to come to the station where her husband had been arrested for upskirting (taking photos or videos up women’s skirts). They discovered years of videos and photos on his laptop of her being raped by more than 70 men over the last ten years. Dominique Pelicot, the father of their three children, had been secretly drugging and raping her, along with strangers he’d invited to join in. As the investigation concluded and the prosecution prepared for trial in 2024, Gisèle made the shocking decision to allow the process to be public. This is her extraordinary story.
I was struck by how deeply personal, raw and unapologetic Gisèle is as she shares who she was before that fateful day and how she evolved to who she is today. She fought to do it her way, even when it was perplexing to those close to her. Gisèle accepts that many consider her a hero but doesn’t exactly own that mantle. Her decision to go public was thoughtful and a move to keep her power.
Emma Thompson brilliantly narrates Gisèle’s story, making me feel like it was the author’s voice. It felt personal.
I came away feeling inspired. Yes, Gisèle was brutally assaulted but she’s no victim. Managing through the typical backlash (how could she not have known…she must have been complicit…yada, yada,yada) and embracing all the women and journalists who showed up on the courtroom steps to give her encouragement through the trial, she refused to be shamed and ashamed. Yes, shame has to change sides. This is a must read story for everyone, not just women.
Book Info
- Release Date: February 17, 2026
- Narrator: Emma Thompson
- Audio Length: 7 hours, 23 minutes
- Publisher: Penguin Audio
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Blue Mood Café 
Fantastic review Jo, I’m planning on reading this one, it’s such an important story.
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Thank you, Sarah💜 This was not the story I expected and that’s a great thing!
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Wow! An incredible and tragic story.
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Gisèle is incredible!
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Wonderful review, Jo, I must bump it up my tbr!
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Thank you, Nicki💜
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I cannot begin to imagine what this brave woman went through. Great review of what sounds like a very important book.
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Thank you, Joanne💜 It’s the best memoir I’ve ever read.
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This sounds like a difficult yet important read. Fantastic review Jonetta.
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Thank you, Jodie💜 Actually, the focus was on her personal odyssey to her truths so it wasn’t as difficult as I’d imagined.
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Excellent review, Jo. When you first mentioned this book, I was hesitant and worried if I could handle it. Now after reading your review, I am definitely going to see if I can find the audiobook. Such an important story. Getting it out there will help to stop things like this happening, hopefully.
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What struck me about your review is the line about her decision to go public being a move to keep her power — that reframing is everything. So much of the coverage focused on what was done TO her, but the story that actually matters is what she chose to do WITH it. The fact that Emma Thompson narrates feels like exactly the right voice for that tone — personal without being pitying. As someone who writes about the intersection of domestic power dynamics and the stories women tell to survive them, this case has been on my mind constantly. Did the audiobook capture the trial sections with the same intimacy, or was it more focused on her internal journey?
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