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In her forceful debut, Havelin follows a Norwegian woman in her 30s diagnosed with severe endometriosis and who has suffered a slew of physical ailments her entire life. Laura Fjellstad, newly divorced at 35, is the single mom of a two-year-old, and the daily navigation of pain, allergies, and fatigue plagues her life. Moving backwards from 2016 to 1995, readers trace the arc of her experience in reverse, discovering the promising figure skater she was at 14, who unknowingly will be sabotaged by her body in the future. The excruciating history of misery that began when Laura was an infant is nearly unfathomable, yet the author parses numerous health difficulties with veracity, detailing as well heartless reactions of some professionals, as well as the dubious attitudes of friends and family to her condition. While Laura has a lot to carp about, she gripes ad infinitum, even in the face of positive experiences, which will certainly put off some readers. But others will find this screed on the fight for normalcy against a backdrop of persistent agony to be a powerful narrative. (May)