Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Big Girl


Big Girl

by Danielle Steel




Paperback
Published on: March 1st  2011
Publisher: Corgi Books 
ISBN: 055215900X 



Big Girl
 Blurb:   'Watch out, world. Here I come!'
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.





No comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...