I'll Never Call Him Dad Again: By the daughter of Gisèle Pelicot

Turning our family trauma of Chemical Submission into a collective fight

De: Caroline Darian

Narrado por: Caroline Darian, Heather Long

The trial of Dominique Pelicot, which began on 2 September 2024, has captured the world's attention. Behind the haunting details of Pelicot's unthinkable crimes are a mother and daughter who were forced to rebuild their lives.

This is their story.

In November 2020, Caroline Darian received a call from the police in Carpentras. Her father was in police custody. The seizure of his computer equipment revealed the unthinkable: since 2013, he had drugged his wife before handing her over, in a state of unconsciousness, to men, from all ages and stages of life.

With exceptional courage, Darian recounts the earth-shattering discovery that a loved one, her own father, is capable of the worst. But more importantly, she shares the remarkable story of her mother Gisèle and how she carried on living, without self-pity, while learning to manage all of the things her husband once took care of. She shares how her mother managed to maintain her joie de vivre in circumstances none of us could imagine.

Gisèle has won acclaim around the world after she gave up her right to anonymity and opted for a public trial, a trial in which Caroline herself has testified, turning the tables: the shame no longer borne by the victims in silence but directed, at last, to the abusers. Together, mother and daughter reveal another side to the violence committed against women, as they bravely transform their private trauma into a collective fight.

The audiobook includes a foreword and afterword narrated by Caroline Darian.©2022 Caroline Darian (P)2025 Bonnier Books UK

So grateful for Caroline's voice

As the daughter of a very disturbed man myself, who also lives to this day with questions about what might or might not have happened to me, I deeply appreciate this book.

I appreciate Caroline letting us into her internal world and putting into perfect words the world-upending rollercoaster of betrayal trauma and sexual trauma. This would be a great read for anyone who is trying to understand what their friend / partner / family member is going through in the throes of this kind of crisis.

And for survivors like me, it is an incredibly validating read. I especially appreciate that Caroline included the nuances of her relationship with her mother, which again mirrors my own experience. It's a very underdiscussed topic in these situations. I love that there is also activism at the heart of this book and this story, and how much of Caroline's empathy and determination comes through in that aspect. Can't recommend this book enough, especially for daughters living with trauma.

Fascinating and just horrific

I’d love to say this is unbelievable but unfortunately it is all too believable as well as undeniably shocking. What was really interesting to me was the difference psychologically in how the mother and daughter reacted to what had occurred.
No one should ever have to live with this. Still, it was absolutely fascinating and incredibly sad.