La Liberté for one person can be a prison for another. La "liberté" or freedom that enables a person to do just what he/she wants is one of the main themes of La familia grande, however this autobiography by Camille Kouchner published in January this year is more famous for its sensational revelations of paedophilia and incest, in the top echelons of French society. Camille Kouchner claims that her twin brother was raped and she was the victim of incest when they were both 14 years old. An experience that traumatised her, not only because of the act itself, but also for her culpability in not raising her concerns for her brother's psychological health and well being.

La familia grande is the name given to the extended family and acolytes that centred around the celebrated couple of Olivier Duhamel and Évelyne Pisier. Duhamel is a constitutionalist, professor and more importantly a political adviser, boasting that he was a telephone call away from the President of France in the 1980's. Evelyne Pisier was previously married to Bernard Kouchner, who held ministerial posts in french governments and in her own right was a professor, essayist and political commentator. The extended family included Evelyn's sister Marie-France Pisier; actress and film director and they usually met together for the holiday seasons at the big house at Sanary-sur-mer, on the mediterranean coast. It was during one of these summer holidays that Olivier Duhamel, allegedly committed the sexual offences against the twins, when Evelyne was absent from the company.

The book starts with the funeral of Évelyne which took place in 2017 and the difficulties of the family, which was under stress because of the knowledge of the accusations amongst family members. It is significant because of the role played by Evelyne, her upbringing of the children and her refusal to acknowledge the actions committed by her husband (always referred to as the step-father in the book). Although she had been absent at the time the rape took place she must have known of Duhamel's predilection for paedophilia, because there had previously been a complaint raised by parents of a youngster after one of the summer parties. Evelyne had leapt to her husbands defence claiming it was all an exaggeration. Evelyn's passion for la liberté along with her sisters similar viewpoint created an unhealthy atmosphere for the children in the familial grande, it left them open to a sexual predator like Duhamel: an example is Camille remembering a discussion about her virginity when she was 11 years old. There was also the general laissez faire attitude around the swimming pool where family members would often be naked. In my opinion there needs to be boundaries for very young adolescents in their education on sexual behaviour and the atmosphere at the family gatherings left the children open to being groomed for sex.

Another big issue raised by the book is the power that can be wielded by a person of influence. Duhamel could do exactly as he wished, without fear of repercussion. His friends and colleagues were only too eager to brush any transgressions or perversions under the carpet. The fact that Duhamel enjoyed a position of considerable influence in the political world helped rather than hindered his actions. The book is not overtly a condemnation of high society, but cannot fail to make the impression on readers, that people in privileged positions can and do take advantage, when they see an opportunity.

The effect on Camille's health and mental wellbeing was devastating; she refers to the serpent in her stomach, that would not go away and led to physical sickness. She continued to go on vacation to Sanary, but the memories were very painful and she had to distance herself from the family. Matters came to a head when she and her brother started families of their own and were expected to take their partners and children to Sanary. Camille feared for her children's safety and persuaded her brother, who had been in denial, to come forward with his version of events. Shortly after the revelations Marie-france was found dead at the bottom of her swimming pool, she had been more sympathetic than her sister Evelyne, who would not listen to her children's complaints.

The victims of this whole affair were undoubtedly the children and it never ended for them, they carried with them a feeling of guilt in that they were somehow to blame for what happened and then further guilt for keeping everything a secret. Camille makes this point very well in her book; she loved her mother, she was in some ways proud of her precocious education, but it led her into a danger with which she was not equipped to prevent. She paces her book well; jumping from the past to the present and various stages in between, to express the tension that built up in her life and her relations with the family. One suspects she is a reliable witness.

Her autobiography concerns her life and her families, but the book has much to say about the wider issues of incest and exploitation. While some readers might not have too much sympathy for the angst of very rich people, who can afford doctors, psychologists and even retail therapy to get over their problems, predatory male behaviour is not confined to the super rich and can have life threatening consequences for many people lower down the social ladder, many of whom cannot escape from the exploitation and who are never afforded the opportunity to reveal their secrets. This is a sensational tell-all story, which has shipped shed loads of books and while it might be part of Camille Kouchner's legal portfolio, it has far wider implications for social interaction and behaviour for those that wish to see it.

La brigade de protection des miners has launched an enquiry on behalf of other potential victims and Duhamel has resigned from his position at the Foundation nationale des sciences politiques. This is a topical and thought provoking read and so 4 stars. ( )

In eloquent and poetic prose, Kouchner tells of the sexual abuse in their early teens of her twin brother by their stepfather. Before the incest, this extended and very prominent French family led a blissful existence largely centred around their vacation property on the Mediterranean coast. Although the incest that began when the twins were fourteen was a secret kept for years among the three of them, it slowly poisoned the relationships between the children and their parents and ultimately spread to damage irreparably the connections within the larger group.

Kouchner's account is at times difficult to read. The adults in her life were the radicals of the sixties, and the extent of their self-involvement is hard to forgive. There were clear signs that something was wrong, but no one much troubled themselves to find out what was troubling the twins.

The book appeared without advance publicity in January, 2021. It acted as a bombshell, breaking a silence in France around the extent of incest in that society. For readers anywhere, Kouchner makes clear how incest affects not only its immediate victims but can destroy many lives and even entire families.

Highly recommended. ( )