My Belly

Hilde Østby is a successful author and cultural critic on the cusp of her forty-fifth birthday. But instead of celebrating her many accomplishments, all she can think about is how much she hates her stomachan insecurity that has ruled over her existence ever since she was fifteen.

How did a girl from an academic homewhere intellect counted more than looksbecome the kind of woman who would obsess over her appearance during a photoshoot for her latest book? In My Belly, Østby decides to, once and for all, write about her most hated body part, exploring how the male gaze, diet culture, stress, capitalism, fashion, beauty, and trauma have played into her obsession. Eventually, through knowledge and wonder, she finds the answer to overcoming her self loathing in unexpected ways.