Product Description
In this heartfelt and incisive new novel, Danielle Steel celebrates the virtues of unconventional beauty while exploring deeply resonant issues of weight, self-image, sisterhood, and family.
A chubby little girl with blond hair, blue eyes, and ordinary looks, Victoria Dawson has always felt out of place in her family, especially in body-conscious L.A. Her father, Jim, is tall and slender, and her mother, Christina, is a fine-boned, dark-haired beauty. Both are self-centered, outspoken, and disappointed by their daughter’s looks. When Victoria is six, she sees a photograph of Queen Victoria, and her father has always said she looks just like her. After the birth of Victoria’s perfect younger sister, Gracie, her father liked to refer to his firstborn as “our tester cake.” With Gracie, everyone agreed that Jim and Christina got it right.
While her parents and sister can eat anything and not gain an ounce, Victoria must watch everything she eats, as well as endure her father’s belittling comments about her body and see her academic achievements go unacknowledged. Ice cream and oversized helpings of all the wrong foods give her comfort, but only briefly. The one thing she knows is that she has to get away from home, and after college in Chicago, she moves to New York City.
Landing her dream job as a high school teacher, Victoria loves working with her students and wages war on her weight at the gym. Despite tension with her parents, Victoria remains close to her sister. And though they couldn’t be more different in looks, they love each other unconditionally. But regardless of her accomplishments, Victoria’s parents know just what to say to bring her down. She will always be her father’s “big girl,” and her mother’s constant disapproval is equally unkind.
When Grace announces her engagement to a man who is an exact replica of their narcissistic father, Victoria worries about her sister’s future happiness, and with no man of her own, she feels like a failure once again. As the wedding draws near, a chance encounter, an act of stunning betrayal, and a family confrontation lead to a turning point.
Behind Victoria is a lifetime of hurt and neglect she has tried to forget, and even ice cream can no longer dull the pain. Ahead is a challenge and a risk: to accept herself as she is, celebrate it, and claim the victories she has fought so hard for and deserves. Big girl or not, she is terrific and discovers that herself.
Product Details
| Publisher | Delacorte Press |
| ISBN | 0385343183 |
| Features |
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| Format | Hardcover |
| Author | Danielle Steel |
| EAN | 9780385343183 |
| Label | Delacorte Press |
| Edition | Book Club (BCE/BOMC) |
| Dewey Decimal Number | 813.54 |
| Studio | Delacorte Press |
| Number Of Pages | 336 |
| Title | Big Girl: A Novel |
| Release Date | 2010-02-23 |
| Publication Date | 2010-02-23 |
| Manufacturer | Delacorte Press |
Customer Reviews
Danielle Steele Thinks You Are an IdiotReview by Andrea, 2010-09-07
The following is written in the style of "Big Girl." If you think this is a great review, then you will LOVE the book.
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Danielle Steele is a bestselling author. She writes books. She thinks of stories, and she writes them down. And then her publisher publishes them. Because she is an author who writes bestselling novels. She has been writing bestselling novels for years. Sometimes Danielle writes long novels and sometimes she writes shorter novels. Writing is what she does, and she loves it. Danielle loves writing down stories, and her publisher loves publishing them. And everyone makes TONS of money, because she is a bestselling author. She writes books, and she enjoys writing them.
Lately, Danielle has decided that while she still likes writing, it takes too long to write good books, and her readers are morons, anyway. She bets her publishers that if she writes a novel that has no plot, and just repeats the same two or three ideas over and over and over again, her readers will buy it. Because they are stupid, and they will buy anything she writes. The fact is, Danielle is an author who writes bestselling novels for her readers, who are not very bright. Why take the time and trouble to write a novel with well-drawn characters, interesting situations, good dialogue, or even a plot? Her readers are not smart. They will buy her books, regardless.
She and her publishers all like this latest idea. They wonder if they should go ahead and call the book "Danielle Steele Thinks You Are an Idiot," but decide that might be pushing it. Even though they all agree that Danielle Steele readers actually are idiots. It would be different if they though that some of Danielle's readers are intelligent. But no, really they think the readers are all idiots. Another thing they all agree is that when Danielle writes one of her novels, and they publish it, everyone makes tons of money, regardless of whether it is a long novel, or a short novel, both of which she enjoys writing. So they publish her latest plot-free book, and decide to call it "Big Girl."
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I haven't read anything by Danielle Steele in a long time, but I have fond memories I have of some of her earlier work - dependably easy, breezy books with great stories and likeable characters. This will be the last time I ever pick up one of her books. She should be embarassed.
Disappointing drivel
Review by Tyna Degenhardt, 2010-08-30
I can sum up this book in one word: HORRIBLE =(. I'm not a huge Danielle Steel fan, but usually find her books entertaining, even if they are a tad dull. This book was waaaay beyond dull. The storyline is depressing and the content is repetitive. I got the feeling that Ms. Steel was paid by the pound for this book. Do yourself a favor and avoid this dreck.
Not a fan of her current writing style
Review by SMF, 2010-08-23
Not sure what is going on with DS... This book was all narrative. A whole lot of "telling" and no "showing". I never got into the story because it read like a backstory that never ended. I kept waiting for the narrative to stop and for the story to get started, but that never happened. It read like (a very long) synopsis. Too weird and I'm not sure I'll be giving her another chance. Echoes was the same way.
Review of Big Girl
Review by Carol M. Buendia, 2010-08-22
It was a very good book. Very relative to be a large girl and no one thinking you are any good at anything because you are overweight.
Horrible, just.......HORRIBLE.
Review by AnnyN, 2010-08-19
this is a rant so here it goes. I have read so many books usually that I really don't remember the authors at times but I know I've read a few by DS. after this one, I don't plan on reading any more. the first time I saw this book I was going to buy it because the cover was cool and the inside summary was interesting (I will get to THAT in a moment) but then I discovered it in the library and I was really exicted!....but was extremely let down. a lot of books make me angry, but this one took the cake so to speak. the main character actually sounds beautiful to me, I cannot fathom why men don't pay attention to her (or maybe she doesn't notice the attention because she hates herself so much. being an overweight woman myself, I was expecting to sympathize with Victoria but I couldn't bring myself to. she has a good heart but she is rather pathetic. the inside cover promised a "family confrontation" (there was none), an "act of stunning betrayal" (where the hell was that located?) a "turning point" (nonexistent), and a "chance encounter" (I have no clue what they're talking about, unless it was a chance encounter with a slice of pizza). the repetition made me want to rip my hair out, nothing happened in the entire story, nothing is resolved, I actually felt stupid at the end for wasting my time. It took all my strength to actually finish the book. I totally regret it now, but thank God it was free. the last thing I have to say is, I really have never, ever read a book quite like this one. and I mean this in the worse way possible.
