Big girl : a novel

Two sisters, two very different lives - Victoria - a chubby little girl with blond hair, blue eyes and ordinary looks - has spent her whole life being second best to her perfect younger sister Gracie, being told that she is a disappointment to her parents, and unable to win their approval.

While waging a ceaseless war against her weight, enduring her father's belittling comments about her appearance and seeing her academic achievements go unacknowledged, she knows that she has to get as far away from home as possible.

Home is Los Angeles, where beauty and appearance are all.

She moves to New York City, where she finds a job she loves - as a high school teacher - amongst the sleek and slinky of Manhattan.

Her lifeline to her family is through Gracie - they couldn't be more different, but they love each other unconditionally.

Victoria finds her own life in New York, while her battle with her weight continues. And then a chance encounter starts an incredible chain of events.

But can Victoria really leave behind all the hurt, neglect and loss that she has tried to forget and step into a new and fulfilling future?And whatever the scales tell her, she is determined to cherish who she is.