Most Normal Woman : Essays on Appearances

I began writing a book about trying to be beautiful. But the more I wrote, the more it resembled a book about trying to be normal.

In this dynamic new collection of essays, critically acclaimed author Roisin Kiberd dissects the business of attaining perfection or even normality - through consumption and body modification. Kiberd explores how fashion, fragrance, and beauty standards serve as tools for self-invention, allowing us to mask our vulnerabilities or perform specific social identities. Linking her personal experiences with Botox and eating disorders to broader phenomena, she explores subcultures including the underground drag scene and competitive dog shows to better understand how differing groups define and judge excellence. From Westport to Paris, Dublin to Berlin, Versailles to the Ringsend Recycling Centre, Kiberd takes us on a journey of obsession with an unanticipated answer to the question: am I normal yet?