Big Girl

von Danielle Steel

Victoria -a chubby little girl with blond hair, blue eyes and ordinary looks - has always felt out of place in her family. When her younger sister Gracie is born,their parents make no secret of the fact that she is the perfect one. While they can eat as much as they like and not gain an ounce, Victoria must watch every mouthful, as well as endure her father`s belittling comments about her appearance and see her academic achievements go unacknowledged. Ice cream and oversized helpings of all the wrong foods offer only temporary comfort. The one thing she knows is that she has to get as far away from home as possible and, after college in Chicago she moves to New York City. There, Victoria finds joy and excitement as a high school teacher while waging war on her weight among the sleek and slinky at Manhattan`s fitness clubs.Her lifeline to her family is through Gracie - though they can`t be more different in looks, style, or social lives, the two sisters love each other unconditionally.Victoria knows that she has been a disappointment to her parents all her life., and no matter what she does, she can never win their approval. A chance encounter, an act of stunning betrayal, and a family confrontation lead to a turning point in the lives of Victoria and Gracie. Behind Victoria is all the hurt, neglect, and loss she has tried to forget - ahead is a new life ofsisterhood, confidence and fulfillment.