Big Girl

A Novel

By: Danielle Steel

Narrated by: Kathleen McInerney

Length: 10 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

In this heartfelt, incisive 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 ordinary looks, Victoria Dawson has always felt out of place in her family, especially in body-conscious L.A. 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 younger sister, Grace. Though they couldn’t be more different in looks, they love each other unconditionally. So 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, a deeply upsetting betrayal, and a family confrontation lead to a turning point.

Behind Victoria is a lifetime of hurt and neglect she has tried to forget. 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.

©2010 Danielle Steel (P)2010 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Big girl

Big girl wow size 14 was disappointed at that reference sounds pretty normal to me

Not my favorite book.

This author has done other books that I like more. Would not recommend it to others.

One of my favorites

This is one of my favorite books BUT the main character is weak and irritating.

fat girl wins!!!!!!!!!!

The book for every woman who has been told she could be pretty if only she would change everything. Finally a heroine that looks and feels like us, and a hero that knows mast is for men and bones are for dogs.I loved it.

Just OK

This is the first Danielle Steel novel I have read/heard. The didn't seem to be much of a story or plot development, and it was repetative a lot of the time, but it was an enjoyable listen.

Good Book

Easy read and listen. It’s a guilty pleasure of mine.
I wish there was more back story to Victorias Mom and Dad. This book weighs heavily on a girl as she becomes a women and her constant struggle with weight loss and diet culture. You wish she would just stop caring and live her life and be happy. I wish she learned how a lot earlier on. But it’s a good light hearted book without giving any spoilers away.

one thing that kinda sucked was end

book was amazing I loved it just not the end is there a second book

I needed to hear this book!

As someone who has been a "Big Girl" all my life, this book resonates for me.

Big Girl

I could personally relate to much of this story. That being said, the read was much longer than it needed to be; it was very repetitive. I would've liked to see more character development. Victoria had the potential to be an awesome heroine. Regarding the story, I was disappointed that Victoria's parents never received their comeuppance for their part in the emotional abuse. And that she and her sister were so close I found unbelievable, considering her sister was nothing but a carbon copy of the very two people that abused her emotionally her entire life.

Too simple. Fast paced storyline with no depth.

I usually like anything by Danielle Steel but this was not my favorite. I kept waiting for the storyline to slow down and focus in on a character or a specific part of their life, but it never happened. This book was a high level overview of a characters life from birth to 30 years old. No real depth to anyone. I was disappointed because I liked the two main characters, the sisters.
when the book started off, I felt like at any moment, at any chapter the story was going to slow down and focus but it never happened.
Simple read/listen and again, I liked it ok, but not Danielle Steel's best.