Michèle Friang’s *Augusta Holmès ou La gloire interdite* reconstructs the life and career of Augusta Holmès, the French composer whose work challenged the gendered boundaries of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century musical culture. The book follows her development as a creator in a field dominated by men, considering both her artistic ambitions and the social constraints that shaped her reception. By placing Holmès within the musical and cultural life of France, it presents her as a significant figure in French composition rather than a marginal historical curiosity. Written for readers interested in music history, biography, and the recovery of overlooked women artists, the volume offers an accessible portrait of a composer whose legacy remains worthy of renewed attention.