After days of reading action, thriller and romance, I finally found a novel I was touched by, and had important messages to its readers.
The novel was 'Big Girl' by Danielle Steel.
Whenever I get my hands on a Steel novel & see the advert for Big Girl, I made it a point to read this one day. And special thanks to a colleague who recently reminded me about the book :)
Being a one without weight gain issues so far, and having friends who are always in the mood to diet frantically, I was curious to know the the point of view of girls with weight issues, well, the book didn't disappoint me.
The story revolves around Victoria (named after Queen Victoria, for her chubby appearance and the nose) born to parents who are slender, model looking, self centered, outspoken and disappointed by her looks, making her constantly feel like the outcast of the family.“.. that terrible feeling that you're not good enough to be loved by the people you love most, and eventually by anyone else.”
― Danielle Steel, Big Girl
"Big Girl: A novel on unconventional beauty, while exploring deeply resonant issues of weight, self image, sisterhood and family" (Daniellesteel.com)
While reading the book, it makes you realize that there may be people in this world to whom looks do matter a lot.
While the story does say about Victoria's constant urge to reduce wight, and how her dieting plans are ruined when she is depressed, it also reveals a few important aspects of life, something all of us can learn from, or relate to.
* Parenting, for example, how it should be and shouldn't be done, 'Comparison' between children being a big NO!! (Here, Victoria is compared with her sister Grace, who resembles her parents).
Every child born in this world is beautiful, and looks don't matter in life anyway, it is the heart that the people will remember till the end.
A child sees the world through it's parents eyes during its growing up period, and the way they view the child is how the child thinks that the world views him or her.
When a single parent or both the parents fail to be a moral support to the child, and constantly point out that the child will be a failure in life, and makes the child feel that he or she doesn't deserve to be loved as a result of how the child looks from the outside, it can have a great impact on the child's' life later on, affecting the child psychologically, making them question him / herself as to whether they really deserve what they have, and underestimate about themselves.
* Siblings also play a vital role in a child's future, when the parents fail to support a child, a kin to support, smile with, to give love and care, to speak to, can be a great consolation to the child.
* All the people don't think that you deserve to be unloved, there are people out there who will love you for just the way you are.
* No matter who you are, how you look, what you go through, there's always a better half to whom your looks don't matter, and who will indeed make you feel better, loved, understands you, protects and celebrates you!!!"Life has a way of working out, the lid for every pot theory seemed to work, if you waited long enough and were patient" - Danielle Steel, Big Girl
“People are so obsessed with that these days. As long as you're healthy, what difference do a few pounds make? Crazy diets. Thirteen-year-old girls on magazine covers who wind up in hospitals because they're so anorexic. Real women don't look like that. And who wants them to? No one wants a woman who looks sick or like she;s been from a refugee camp.”
― Danielle Steel, Big Girl
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