Book review: ‘All I wanted was a quiet life’

'A Hymn to Life' zigzags between two narratives: from Gisele Pelicot's difficult childhood to meeting Dominique Pelicot and their 50 years of marriage and her discovery of his crimes
Book review: ‘All I wanted was a quiet life’

Gisele Pelicot insists her 50 years of marriage were not a lie: that its ups and downs were real. File picture: Associated Press/ Alamy Stock Photo/ PA 

Sat, 14 Mar, 2026 - 01:00
Rory O’Sullivan

  • A Hymn to Life 
  • Gisèle Pelicot 
  • Natasha Lehrer (Translator), Ruth Diver (Translator)
  • Penguin, €18.99

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