The novel tracks backward, from 2016 until 1995, etching details of daily life into a gripping and darkly humorous bildungsroman, about the intricacies of love and life in a fragile body.
We meet Laura Fjellstad first as she works and cares for her young daughter, while struggling with debilitating pain and endometriosis, an invisible chronic illness.
As the reader moves in reverse to meet Laura’s younger and somewhat healthier selves (a hopeful bride in New York, a baby queer in Paris, a figure skater in Norway) we uncover her tireless work to gain control of her identity, her illness and the conflicting demands made by doctors, friends, lovers and family.
Please Read This Leaflet Carefully is a book I’ve been meaning to read ever since I was diagnosed with endometriosis in 2021. I was looking for a book that was an incredibly honest insight as to what it is like to live with endometriosis and the battle to have it diagnosed. This book was exactly that.
This novel is told backwards from 2016 to 1995. It tells of the daily life of Laura Fjellstad as she works and cares for her young daughter. All of this whilst struggling with debilitating pain and endometriosis, an invisible chronic illness.
I think it is extremely clever to have this story told in reverse chronological order. We get to see Laura at different stages of her life and diagnosis due to this. We see her through her late diagnosis of endometriosis, being judged by her friends and feeling like there is no way out of the pain. This allows us to see all of the main character’s deepest emotions up close.
The way this novel is told shows you just how much Laura’s mindset changes as she gets older. Younger Laura struggles with the pain and not knowing what is causing it at the start. But, it is reassuring to know that she makes her way through it all. It is heart-warming to read she doesn’t allow her chronic illness to prevent her from finding her place in the world and achieving her dreams.
This novel shows the way that chronic illnesses impacts your relationships. From how those with chronic illness present themselves to how friends and family struggle to relate and deal with their condition. Plus, how this can often lead to guilt and anger on both sides. I think it discusses this issue excellently.
I feel like this is the most realistic story about getting diagnosed with endometriosis I’ve ever read. It takes Laura an extremely long time to get diagnosed with endometriosis as it seems no one will listen to or take seriously the pain she is in. As someone who spent 10 painful years waiting to be diagnosed with endometriosis I related to this heavily. Also, the way the pain, worries and feelings about the chronic illness are discussed made me feel seen in my struggles.
Overall, I would highly recommend reading Please Read This Leaflet Carefully. Be that if you are someone with endometriosis, another chronic illness or simply wanting to learn about how chronic illnesses affects a person. It is a beautiful novel that will leave you thinking.
Loisreadsbooks 
As a fellow sufferer/survivor, I find the idea of this book to be extremely intriguing. I was and am still appalled at how widespread this illness is and yet how poorly it is understood. Seriously, I think it is insane how long it takes to be diagnosed. I am grateful to the wonderful doctor who finally figured it out. It might take me a bit to get to this book given that the subject matter is so personal but I am grateful for yer review. Arrr!
x The Captain
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