Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

Unavailable
Big Girl: A Novel
Unavailable
Big Girl: A Novel
Unavailable
Big Girl: A Novel
Audiobook10 hours

Big Girl: A Novel

Written by Danielle Steel

Narrated by Kathleen McInerney

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

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. 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.
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.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateFeb 23, 2010
ISBN9781423388289
Unavailable
Big Girl: A Novel
Author

Danielle Steel

Danielle Steel has been hailed as one of the world's most popular authors, with over 650 million copies of her novels sold. Her many international bestsellers include Property of a Noblewoman, Blue, Precious Gifts, Undercover, Country, Prodigal Son, Pegasus, A Perfect Life, and other highly acclaimed novels. She is also the author of His Bright Light, the story of her son Nick Traina's life and death; A Gift of Hope, a memoir of her work with the homeless; and the children's books Pretty Minnie in Paris and Pretty Minnie in Hollywood.

More audiobooks from Danielle Steel

Related to Big Girl

Related audiobooks

Contemporary Women's For You

View More

Related articles

Reviews for Big Girl

Rating: 3.832589383928571 out of 5 stars
4/5

224 ratings22 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    It was a typical RomCom, but I loved it! Great beach read.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Excellent story about love at any size. Another good one from Danielle Steel.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I have read so many books by Danielle Steele and have enjoyed them all. This book tops them all!!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    It was just a great read . I couldn’t put it down
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Beautiful story. Love and a very special guy to love a beautiful girl. Dad & Mom just so sad they hurt there beautiful daughter!!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I loved this book one of her best and I have alot of her books
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Victoria Dawson can't help but feel out of place in her family, especially living in a city as glamorous and body-conscious as Los Angeles. Her father, Jim, is tall and slender, and Victoria's mother, Christina, is a fine-boned, dark-haired beauty. By comparison, Victoria was a chubby little girl with blonde hair, blue eyes, and rather ordinary looks. Needless to say, both her parents were intensely critical, outspoken, and noticeably disappointed by their daughter's ordinary appearance.When Victoria was six years old, she saw a picture of Queen Victoria, and her father told her that she looked just like her. After the birth of Victoria's perfect little sister Grace, her father liked to refer to his firstborn as "our little tester cake". With the birth of Gracie, everyone agreed that Jim and Christina definitely did something right.As hard as she tries, Victoria just can't seem to win the battle against her weight: as a young adult, she is still overly plump, and has an awful sweet tooth. While her parents and sister can eat anything they want and not gain an ounce, Victoria must watch everything she eats. She quietly endures her father's belittling comments about her body and watches her various academic achievements go unacknowledged by her family. Ice cream and oversized helpings of all the wrong foods may give Victoria some comfort, but only for a few moments.The only thing Victoria knows is that she must get away from home, and so, after going to college in Chicago, she moves to New York City. Landing her dream job as a high school teacher, Victoria feels like she has finally found her niche: she absolutely loves working with her students and continues to wage a determined war on her weight at the gym. When Grace announces her engagement to a man who is an exact replica of their father, Victoria worries about her sister's future happiness. However, with no man of her own, Victoria can't help but feel like she is a failure once again.Returning home to attend Grace's wedding, Victoria finds that not much has changed in her absence. Despite the continued tension with her parents, Victoria and Grace have always been close; and although the sisters could not look more different, they love each other unconditionally. Yet regardless of Victoria's many accomplishments, her parents attitudes toward her still haven't changed: they 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 as unkind.Victoria has spent a lifetime trying to forget the numerous little occasions of thoughtlessness and cruelty - the various incidents of hurt and neglect perpetrated on her by her parents. But she has finally reached the point of no return; the point where even ice cream can no longer dull the pain. As the wedding draws near, a chance encounter, a deeply upsetting betrayal, and a family confrontation all lead to an unavoidable turning point for Victoria. She faces a tough challenge as she goes ahead in her life, as well as a difficult personal risk: to accept herself as she is, celebrate it, and eventually to claim the victories she has fought so hard for and deserves.To be perfectly honest, this story was a little bit of a let down for me. I found it to be slightly repetitive and somewhat disappointing, although it was still a fairly enjoyable story - certainly Danielle Steel's typical writing style. This was fast-paced and easy reading for me, but overall it wasn't her most riveting storyline. I had to give this book a B+!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Inhaltsangabe:Victoria Dawson wächst in L.A. auf. Obwohl von ihren Eltern durchaus gewünscht, hat sie sie ungewollt vom ersten Tag an enttäuscht. Ihr Vater nennt sie nach der Queen Victoria, weil sie ihr ähnlich sieht. Doch das meint er nicht unbedingt liebevoll. Ihre Nase ist komisch, sie hat lange Beine und kämpft ständig mit ihrem Gewicht. Einzig ihre Liebe zu ihrer Schwester Grace hält sie an zu Hause fest. Sie liebt ihre kleine Schwester abgöttisch, obwohl sie von Anfang anders behandelt wird als sie selbst.Mit 18 Jahren zieht Victoria aus, um zu studieren. Auch da kann sie es ihren Eltern nicht recht machen. Lehrerin wäre kein echter Beruf und sie würde kaum was verdienen. Und intelligente Frauen würden eh keinen Mann finden. Mit diesem riesigen Päckchen an Gemeinheiten und Oberflächlichkeiten muss Victoria in ihrem Erwachsenenleben zurecht kommen und obwohl schon viele etliche Kilometer zwischen ihnen liegen, bestimmen sie noch immer ihr Leben.Als sie in New York eine Stelle als Lehrerin an einer Privatschule findet, kann ihr Vater auch das nicht honorieren. Aber Victoria weiß, das sie ihren Weg gehen muss und sie kämpft sich weiter durch … Viele Hürden und Enttäuschungen muss sie überwinden, bis auch sie endlich versteht, das sie ein sehr liebenswerter und durchaus attraktiver Mensch ist, der es verdient hat, geliebt zu werden.Mein Fazit:Das war mal ganz was Anderes von der Autorin. Hach … was habe ich mit Victoria gelitten.Victoria wird von klein auf eingeredet, das sie nichts wert ist, sie zu groß und zu dick ist und nur auf die Gunst ihrer Eltern angewiesen sein wird. Dem Vater ist der Schein wichtiger als Sein und die Mutter schwimmt in diesem Strom mit. So hat Victoria es sehr schwer, sich zu einer selbstbewußten Persönlichkeit zu entwickeln. Erst als sie auf dem College und somit weit weg von zu Hause ist, gewinnt sie etwas Abstand. Dennoch leidet sie unter den markigen Sprüchen ihres Vaters und dem ignoranten Verhalten der Mutter. Obwohl sie sich allmählich abnabelt und ihren eigenen Weg geht, kann sie sich nicht weiter stärken, denn die schlechten Erfahrungen, die sie macht, scheinen die Eltern nur zu bestätigen. Erst, als sie in New York eine Stelle als Lehrerin annimmt und sich dort ein neues Leben aufbaut, wird es langsam besser. Aber es ist immer wieder von Rückfällen in alte Verhaltensmuster geprägt, mit ihrer Fresssucht und der Unfähigkeit, sich selbst aus den Tiefs herauszuziehen.Mir hat die Person Victoria Dawson sehr gefallen. Sie war von der ersten Seite an sympathisch und ihr Handeln nachvollziehbar. Einzig die Liebe zu ihrer Schwester fand ich ein bißchen übertrieben. In der Regel sieht die Realität da etwas anders aus. Aber gut, ist künstlerische Schaffensfreiheit und das tut der eigentlichen Geschichte ja auch keinen Abbruch. Da ich selbst eine nicht besonders glückliche Kindheit hatte, konnte ich Victoria sehr gut verstehen und das Verhalten der Eltern überhaupt nicht nachvollziehen. Ein nicht vorhandenes Selbstbewußtsein kann einem das Leben wirklich schwer machen und man tappst dann auch noch in Dinge rein, für die man eigentlich nichts kann. Sehr blöd so etwas.Nach den vielen Romanen, die eher in der Oberschicht spielten, hat mir dieses Buch ausgesprochen gut gefallen, obwohl der Schreibstil der Autorin sich nach wie vor nicht weiter entwickelt hat. Victoria Dawson stammt nicht aus reichem Haus und hat sich vieles selbst erarbeitet. Ihr wurde nichts geschenkt, bis auf die Ausbildung. Einziger Kritikpunkt am Buch sind die ständige Erwähnungen des emotionalen Teufelskreislaufes bei der Fresssucht. Nach der Hälfte des Buches hatte ich als Leserin schon verstanden, warum sie immer wieder gegessen hat. Aber nun denn …Von mir als Danielle Steel-Fan gibt es begeisterte fünf Sterne.Veröffentlicht am 25.01.15!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. Girl overcomes emotional abuse by her parents to live her own life.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    My audio debut, and what easier way to start with a good old Danielle Steel.The story apppealed to me, more than anything as I have had weight issues all my life, and I sort of bonded with Victoria and really wanted to know the ending soooh soon.It was OK, as DS goes, as I'm no fan, but the prose was a bit too syrupy for me. 
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Victoria (named after the Queen for not so flattering reasons) is described as the “tester cake” baby before the perfection of her younger sister came along. Victoria is the outcast in her family because she does not fit the cookie cutter image of her family's L.A. perfection. Moving to New York to take a teaching position, Victoria finds a group of equally unconventional friends and a life of her own. However, one cannot avoid family forever, and as her sister's wedding draws closer Victoria once again has to face her personal demons. A nice light summer read.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    Why on earth I'm reading this is beyond me. I hate Danielle Steel. I read my first DS ("The Accident") in sixth grade. And at that point, it was probably appropriate, reading-level -wise (though perhaps not in terms of subject matter). I think I read one more after that before I caught on to the formula and abandoned her in disgust.

    At any rate, I found this at a rummage sale for a quarter. I'm half done with the book and feel I over-paid. The writing is crap. The characters are one dimensional. Her mother is a Stepford wife. Her dad is cruel. Her sister is beautiful. But fear not! In spite of being "fat" (more on this in a sec!), Victoria, our protagonist, is perfect in every way. She loves her sister. She has a fabulous job, a fabulous apartment, and fabulous friends. She is without fault.

    You know, except for the fact that she is FAT. And DS won't let you forget it, either. Literally every page, there is some reference to how skinny and perfect her family is and how hideously fat Victoria is. Her parents mock her at every gathering. Her students speak of her weight behind her back. People look and point.

    So how large is this behemouth? Brace yourself!

    A 14. (A 12 when she loses 10 lbs.)

    Now, as a size 14 myself, perhaps I'm biased. I'm under no illusions that I'm thin, and I am well aware that I could stand to lose 25 pounds. Few people have self-esteem as shitty as mine. Few are as insecure about the size of their ass. And yet I really don't think that I'm SOOO large that people whisper about my size behind my back. Perhaps I am in denial, perhaps I just live in a more generous part of the country (South Dakota), but I still find this incredibly far-fetched.

    And yet....I continue to read. It's like a horrible, horrible train wreck. I just can't look away.

    EDIT: I've finished this. It did not get better. If anything, it got worse. After two nights of reading about how fat even a size 10 is, I was left wanting to slit my wrists. I don't think I've ever felt so fat as a result of reading a book.

    The ending itself was truly awful. There's a "crisis/betrayal" that she devotes about 4 pages to before she entirely glosses over it. Why she bothered with this "plot twist" at all is beyond me.

    Please, please save yourself a day or two of your life. Even for DS, this is a truly awful book. I didn't even donate it to GoodWill; it went straight to the trash. I don't want to take the chance of passing it on to another unsuspecting reader. If I could give it less than 1 star, I would.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A good weekend or beach read; touchy subject matters (weight and family acceptance for being different in general) that is dealt with in a relatively sensative manner but not great literature by any stretch of the imagination.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    the first 150 pages were good, but after that I got bored and did not continue reading, the problem is the appearance of a homosexual character, not likely of Steel. I don't accept homosexuality at all, so I did not continue reading.
    I like her novel 'Daddy' more, even 'Coming out' is good too
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Title: Big Girl
    Author: Danielle Steel
    Genre: Chick Lit

    Challenges: 101 Books in 1001 Days Challenge, The Naming Convention Challenge, Book Around the States Challenge, Read and Review Challenge 2010, TBR Challenge 2010, 100 Reading Challenge, Pages Read 2010, A to Z challenge, 2010 Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge, Audio Book Challenge 2010, Contemporary Romance Challenge in 2010

    Rating: 5/5
    No. of Pages: 536 (Audio)
    Published: 2010


    Back Cover: 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. While her parens 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.

    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 risk: to accept herself as she is, celebrate it, and claim the victories she has faught so hard for and deserves. Big girl or not, she is terrific and discovers that herself.

    Mine: What a wonderfully timely book as we talk about bullying and obesity. Victoria suffers both, but worst of all the bullying comes from her own family. She’s just the “tester cake” that comes before her perfect sister. There are time while listening to the book – it was frustrating to think that her family is the cause of a lot of her heartache.

    The wonderful thing about this story is we travel with Victoria through her journey of self-discovery and healing. She does finally discover she is worth of someone’s love as the person that she is, not what her family thinks of her.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I have not read many Danielle Steel books - just a few, the most memorable being Palomino, back when I was a teen. However, I liked the sound of this book when I read the dust jacket blurb. I liked the protagonist, Victoria, very much. I rather identified with her in some ways (the weight struggle, large chest, etc) . . . but I found her parents insufferable. I wanted to them to change, to realize the errors in their ways (they always remind Victoria that she is the weird one in their family, that they don't love her nearly as much as her little sister.) It's all because of her weight, her nose, her "brains" and so on. They are horribly shallow and mean people. In a way, however, I am glad that her parents don't change, because that would probably highly unrealistic if they did.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I had fond memories of Danielle Steels books though I outgrew the shmaltz a while ago. Still I remember the emotion and warmth of those novels and was disappointed to find it totally lacking in Big Girl. The premise sounded interesting, given i heard the same tag growing up, but Steel's treatment of the issues were stereotypical and shallow and her character's were no better. The writing was a mono-tonal and repetitive and too simplistic. It's readable, but not sadly not really enjoyable.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is the story that follows Victoria on her life's journey to finding happiness with in her self. She was born to parents she looked nothing alike and whom did not love her and this was made more and more clear when her baby sister was born and she looked just like her parents. Despite the differences in the two Victoria loved Grancie and always took care of her and they together werre each others lifelines. Victoria grew up went to NorthWeastern and became a teacher much to her parents dismay. Then moved to New York City to be an English teacher at a private school for rich kids. Gracie went to a collage in LA where they were from to be close to their parents. Gracie met a boy the day she started collage and was going to marry him much to Victoria dismay that he was much like their father. After year and years of unhappiness Victoria is right with her self and falls in love with Collin
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A good book. D.S. has written better stories. I like the characters.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Finally finished this book!! Sometimes I wonder if Steel wrote this book. I understand the premise of the story, but she was ad nauseum concerning the weight issue. UGH!!There's not much to review regarding this book. Parents have 2 girls. One is overweight and ugly in their eyes and the one is drop dead gorgeous. The oldest & overweight one goes off to college and finds a job in New York. The parents don't approve of her career plans and there is another chance to belittle her.The youngest daughter stays in L.A. and when she graduates decides to marry instead of having a career first.I used to read many more of Steel's books but I felt that this was a waste of time. Won't be reading any more of her any t
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This was an okay book. It didn't really leave an impression with me. I liked the characters, but felt that I needed more from them. I think Steel could have done more with Victoria.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The first one-thrid is the best and the followings are many repetition and you got bored by then...not impressed.