Ode to Life
Shame must change sides
An Ode to Life is not a story of sacrifice. It is the memoir of a woman who refused to give up.
When 68-year-old Gisèle Pelicot was summoned to the police, she had no idea that her life was about to end. The husband, with whom she spent fifty years, was caught by supermarket security filming up women' s skirts. The subsequent investigation revealed a devastating fact – Dominique Pelicot secretly drugged his wife for nine years, raped her while she was unconscious, and invited dozens of strange men into their home to abuse her as well. You documented everything carefully.
Four years later, he stood trial with fifty other men. And Gisèle took a step that changed her fate, French legislation, and the world' s view of sexual violence.
" They should hang their heads in shame, not me, " she declared, opening the court hearing to the public.
Gisèle Pelicot has become the voice and face of millions of victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence. Her words traveled around the world. Her courage was inspiring. Now he tells his story in his own words. She returns to childhood, career, motherhood and marriage. It brings a powerful message of recovery.
It reminds us that victims have no reason to be ashamed. That even after unimaginable betrayal, it is possible to move on - and find the joy of life and love again. " I still believe in people. " It used to be my biggest weakness. Today it is the source of my strength. ”
In the book you will find, among other things:
Why did Gisèle decide to break her silence and come out of anonymity?
How Dominik Pelicot' s cruel childhood shaped his personality - and why that' s no excuse.
Why is it so difficult to recognize psychological and sexual violence, even when it happens right before the eyes of loved ones?
How her case transformed the public debate about rape, consent and abuse of power.
What victims really need – and why silence is the weapon of perpetrators.
How one woman' s courage gave voice to thousands of others.
We believe that change begins with naming the problem; and must continue with concrete help.
They wrote about the book:
Gisèle' s story touched me deeply. She was able to find the courage to speak out loud about what many victims of sexual or domestic violence are still ashamed of. I believe this book can help open eyes and give strength to those who need it.
- Martina Rybičková, editor-in-chief
Gisèle Pelicot
(* 1952) She is a mother of three, a grandmother and a woman who, even after an extreme experience, decided to assert her right to a dignified and free life. Her story and the subsequent trial, which took place in the final months of 2024, fundamentally transformed the debate about sexual violence, guilt, and responsibility. In France, they also led to a revision of the legal definition of rape. She was voted the most important French personality of the year and received the highest state decoration, the Order of the Legion of Honor. The British newspaper Financial Times ranked her among the twenty-five most influential women, and in 2025 The Independent named her the most influential woman on the planet.
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Details
| Code: | AK1C1026 |
| Manufacturer information |
Jan Melvil Publishing s.r.o., Roubalova 383/13, 602 00 Brno 2, Česká republika, www.melvil.cz 
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