Shaking Woman, or A History of My Nerves

The author delves into the mysteries of her own neurological condition in a far-ranging memoir that is “graceful, intense, and curiously affirming” (Booklist).

While speaking at a memorial event for her father in 2006, novelist Siri Hustvedt suffered a violent seizure from the neck down. Despite her flapping arms and shaking legs, she continued to speak clearly and was able to finish her speech. It...