It wasn't until 40 years after the initial publication of Histoire d'O that the book's author Dominique Aury revealed that the nom de plume Pauline Réage belonged to her. However, it was subsequently revealed that Dominique Aury was itself a pseudonym of Anne Desclos who was then 86 and near death. She had written the book as love letters to her lover Jean Paulhan who wrote a preface as if he did not know her. An unflinchingly erotic story of a woman in a BDSM relationship, the book received harsh criticism from conservatives and feminist groups alike.