Big
Girl
by Danielle Steel
Paperback
Published on: March 1st 2011
Publisher: Corgi Books
ISBN: 055215900X
For Victoria Dawson, growing up isn't a happy experience. Born to
picture-perfect parents, she never feels pretty enough to meet their
expectations. But when her parents have a second child, Victoria is thrilled - she
can't help but adore her new baby sister Gracie. And since Gracie is the image
of them, her parents finally have the perfect daughter they always wanted.
Meanwhile Victoria still never seems to get it quite right - she battles with
her weight, she's told she'll never find a man if she's too clever, and the one
career she feels passionate about her parents don't approve of.
And so Victoria decides to move to
New York to fulfil her dreams and escape her family. Though her new life is
exciting, the old temptations remain, and she continues to wage war with the
scales.
Victoria
struggles to find a life far from the hurt and neglect of her childhood, the
damage created by her parents, the courage to find freedom, and become who she
really is at last.
Danielle Steel is the big name in
the world of romance writing. Producing numerous bestsellers over the years,
she gives us yet another hilarious and at the same time a heart wrenching piece
as Big Girl.
The cover of the book is going to
attract your attention immediately. As you read the book, you understand the
relevance of the gorgeous cover that it has.
Our protagonist is Victoria Dawson
has sufficiently enough reasons to end her life. When both her parents wanted a
boy, they were fairly disappointed after having a girl. They name her Victoria
after Queen Victoria who had a big body to carry all through her life. Victoria
is seen as a specimen of ugliness, obesity and uselessness.
When the Dawsons are blessed with
yet another girl Grace, Victoria is sure to be neglected. Gracie, as Victoria
calls her, is perfect in the eyes of her parents. Gracie is everything that
Victoria is not. And our lovely protag is not at all jealous about it. Victoria
grows up loving her sister more and
more, being taunted by her parents for
her weight, her job and for not having a boyfriend. There’s only one thing that
takes her away from the miseries of life and that is food.
Danielle Steel has done a
commendable job taking us on a journey starting right from Victoria’s birth to
her thirties. Seeing her struggle with different things in different phases of
life, Danielle Steel makes this character fantastically relatable. I haven’t personally related to any character
better than that of Victoria. And there’s no wonder about it when I am, in one
way or the other, reminded a billion times a day about being obese. And I think
every girl out there, whether lean or obese will relate to Victoria. We all
have weight issues, don’t we?
I loved the way Steel has shown us
the troubles that an average girl with a few extra pounds faces. The abuse one
faces verbally and mentally because of it is far, far worse than any physical
abuse you can come across. And as Steel writes it, it is all believable and
true.
There have been many plus sized
heroines that we have come across in many books, but there hasn’t been anyone
as perfect as Victoria Dawson. This one is going to be my favourite book
written by Danielle Steel.
If they make a movie out of this book, I am
going to cry buckets when I see it. And if you have a heart, probably you will
do the same.
Not only does Steel deal laudably
with the problems Victoria faces at her home with her family, she also shows us
the miseries she faces as a teacher in New York after leaving her home. And finding
love for a size fourteen woman in New York is not an easy job either.
I was the happiest person on earth
when Victoria leaves her parents and flees to New York in search of her
self-esteem, the perfect lover for herself and above all freedom from all the
miseries. A woman needs to live her life for herself and not for pleasing
others. Fulfilling the whims of others ought to be a secondary matter, always.
That was the probable theme that Steel had in mind while penning the book down.
The author shows us the best
pictures of issues regarding self esteem, weight, family, sisterhood, teaching,
decisions and above all love. Big Girl is a breezy read with a lot of lessons
to teach you as you leaf through the book.
I would recommend this to anyone who
loves Women’s Fiction, Chick Lit and Romance. This one is surely worth your
time.
Review originally
published on: http://randomhouseindia.wordpress.com/2012/10/04/guest-post-by-jaasindah-mir/
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