Self-Esteem Issues Are Explored in Danielle Steel’s New Book

In her newest book Big Girl, best selling author Danielle Steel writes about Victoria’s (the main character) struggles with her weight, body image and self-esteem issues which stem from childhood through her 20′s. Receiving criticism from her parents and them favoring her younger, thinner sister over her makes Victoria’s journey of self-acceptance a difficult one.

In a recent interview with USA Today, Steel revealed what inspired her to write Big Girl, what messages she wants readers to take from the book and what is the best and worst thing a man can say to a woman.

Inspiration

I thought, it must be a drag to always have beautiful people highlighted in books. Why not make a heavier woman the star of the show? If you notice, I do not have Victoria lose weight by the end of the book, but she gets a great guy. I thought that was important and more real.

Message For Readers

That it’s OK to be you, less than perfect. Our role models are ridiculous. Most of the models that you see in Vogue are extremely young and way too thin to be healthy. We are a society that worships extreme youth, extreme thinness, extreme beauty — and anyone who doesn’t measure up feels ugly. Women are born saying, “Do I look fat in this?” Somebody gave me a funny bracelet a few years ago that said, “Do I look fat in this bracelet?”

Best & Worst things a Man Can Say To A Woman

“You look gorgeous, and I love you” always works. Obviously, your mate can make you feel pretty bad. I remember once I bought a new cocktail dress, put it on and came out, and my husband put down his newspaper, looked at me over his glasses and said, “Is that a costume?” Needless to say I didn’t feel comfortable wearing that again. A certain amount of honesty is a good thing, but you have to know where to limit it. I saw a refrigerator magnet once with a man lying dead on the floor with a woman standing over him with a gun, and it read, “The next time I ask ‘Do I look fat in this?’ you’ll know what to say.”