Big Girl: 'Absolutely incredible. Beautiful, powerful writing. These pages will stay with me forever' CANDICE CARTY-WILLIAMS, author of QUEENIE

Big Girl is a powerful and unforgettable portrait of a queer Black girl learning to take up space in the world on her own terms. It was shortlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, the Gotham Book Prize, and the Lambda Award.

Format: Hardback
Length: 272 pages
Publication date: 06 July 2023
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group

Big Girl is a remarkable book that has been shortlisted for prestigious awards such as the Centre for Fiction First Novel Prize, the Gotham Book Prize, and the Lambda Award. The writing in this book is absolutely stunning, powerful, and unforgettable. Candice Candy-Williams, the author of Queenie, praised it as "absolutely incredible," describing it as "beautiful, powerful writing that will stay with me forever." Jacqueline Woodson, the author of Red at the Bone, called it a "gift as big, beautiful, and complicated as living itself." Nicole Dennis-Benn, the author of Patsy and Here Comes the Sun, praised it as "hilariously funny and quietly devastating." Kiese Laymon, the author of Heavy, stated that Big Girl is one of the three books on earth that he would give anything to be able to write and reread until the suns burns us up. The quote by Zora Neale Hurston, "A thing is mighty big when time and distance cannot shrink it," resonated with Malaya. At first, she had perceived it as ominous, but now she looked at it differently, wondering if there could be something good about bigness, something mighty about not shrinking, after all.

Growing up in rapidly gentrifying 90s Harlem, Malaya struggled to fit into a world that made no room for her. She was funny, creative, and smart, but all people saw - even those who loved her - was her size. At eight, she was forced to attend Weight Watchers; at twelve, her parents feared they would be taken from her; by sixteen, a gastric bypass was discussed. On good days, Malaya braided bright colors into her hair, turned up Biggie Smalls on her Walkman, and strutted through Harlem, his words galvanizing her. On bad days, she didn't leave her bed other than for furtive trips for the forbidden food that would comfort her - for a while.

Big Girl is an unforgettable portrait of a queer Black girl as she learns to take up space. It is a powerful exploration of identity, body image, and the complexities of growing up in a world that often seeks to diminish and erase Black women. Malaya's journey is filled with humor, resilience, and a deep sense of self-discovery. Through her struggles, she learns to embrace her uniqueness and to carve out a place for herself in the world. This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to experience the beauty and power of storytelling.

Weight: 390g
Dimension: 222 x 145 x 27 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780349017846