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Big Girl: A Novel |  | Author: Danielle Steel
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Category: Book
List Price: $28.00
Buy Used: $2.97
as of 7/29/2010 21:18 CDT details
You Save: $25.03 (89%)
New (50) Used (75) Collectible (1) from $2.97
Seller: Goodwill Industries of the Columbia
Rating:  84 reviews
Sales Rank: 7165
Media: Hardcover
Edition: Book Club (BCE/BOMC)
Pages: 336
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 9.6 x 6.1 x 1.2
ISBN: 0385343183
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780385343183
ASIN: 0385343183
Publication Date: February 23, 2010
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| • | ISBN13: 9780385343183 | | • | Condition: New | | • | Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed |
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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.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 84
 1.5 Stars July 29, 2010
Hood College Alumnae (Frederick, MD USA)
I have never read or wanted to read a Danielle Steele book before. I started listening to "Big Girl" as an audiobook one week ago and after finishing the last disc, I am left baffled at the popularity of this author.
A simple introduction is stretched to an entire novel length, the `tester cake' & big child Victoria who is verbally abused by her parents and feels likes an ugly mushroom compared to her rose-like beautiful sister, Grace. `Big' in this book is defined for a superficial 15-25 pounds rather than a true plus size woman. Moreover, the idea of being `big' tries to become a symbol for other issues but fails completely in execution from page one.
Poor plot, repetitive writing style & an unattractive theme places this book into a 1.5-2 Star review. I am giving just over a star because as an audiobook, the repetitive plot makes for easy listening, as I never had to remember where I left off and recall a complicated plot.
 Big Girl July 27, 2010
goldielocks
Thought this book was great reading for the summer. Not too long. Good story.
Big Girl - Danielle Steel July 21, 2010
Pat
I read all of Danielle Steel's books.
This book arrived timely and brand new as indicated.
 I am so frustrated over this book!!!!! July 21, 2010
msk1110
I have never written a review before, but this book has compelled me to. All I am going to say is this book has me so frustrated right now. I realize that it's fiction and that books are supposed to take you away from reality, but come on!!! Why do I have to have my intelligence insulted? I get the whole thing with the parents being verbally abusive. That would be painful and emotionally draining, however, why does Victoria only have to lose 25lb's? Why does she have to have a great set of legs? Danielle Steel has no idea what it's like to be a real big girl. Having to lose 25lb's is a drop in the bucket. Life cannot be that difficult for this girl, with the exception of her parent's cruel remarks. And can someone tell me what is so wrong with having a large chest? Oh, I guess it's ok if you are thin with a large chest, but if your overweight with a large chest, it's not so good. I want a real Cinderella story. One that I can relate to. One where the woman is 75lbs overweight and works hard to get herself at a healthy size, is able to achieve that and finds love even if she is a size 14.
I hardly think that a tall, blond, buxom, woman who only has to lose 25lb's is one of society's misfits.
Danielle and everyone behind her books should be ashamed!!! July 16, 2010
Ahva (New York, NY)
It comes a time in an authors life when they just run out of ideas and need to stop writing. Danielle has been writing for decades now and the stories are not interesting, redundant and unrealistic. She hasn't written a readable book in almost 15 years. Danielle's is merely trying to fill the pages in her books. It was sooo competitive and down-right outrageous that I only read half of it and just threw it out. What a waste of money, time and sanity! I didn't care what happened to the main character at all because she wasn't developed enough. 25lbs over weight! are you kidding me Danielle? Anyone knows the taller you are, the more your weight distributes. Big girl is merely a portion of an idea that was written from chapter to chapter with no real thought put into it. There was so much that could have been done with this book but it flopped and so does Danielle. If I could give this negative stars I would. It's time to take all your millions and retire on a huge island somewhere. You've made enough money. We readers deserve more than this trash on paper. Don't even waste your time putting this on wait-list at the public library, it's stinks that bad.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 84
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