Big Girl

A Novel

By: Mecca Jamilah Sullivan

Narrated by: Lisa Reneé Pitts

Exquisitely compassionate and witty, Big Girl traces the intergenerational hungers and desires of Black womanhood, as told through the unforgettable voice of Malaya Clondon.

In her highly anticipated debut novel, Mecca Jamilah Sullivan explores the perils—and undeniable beauty—of insatiable longing.

Growing up in a rapidly changing Harlem, eight-year-old Malaya hates when her mother drags her to Weight Watchers meetings; she'd rather paint alone in her bedroom or enjoy forbidden street foods with her father. For Malaya, the pressures of her predominantly white Upper East Side prep school are relentless, as are the expectations passed down from her painfully proper mother and sharp-tongued grandmother. As she comes of age in the 1990s, she finds solace in the music of Biggie Smalls and Aaliyah, but her weight continues to climb—until a family tragedy forces her to face the source of her hunger, ultimately shattering her inherited stigmas surrounding women's bodies, and embracing her own desire.

Written with vibrant lyricism shot through with tenderness, Big Girl announces Sullivan as an urgent and vital voice in contemporary fiction.

©2022 Mecca Jamilah Sullivan (P)2022 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Relatable Story

Finished in a day and a half! Couldn’t stop listening to this story. Great narration. I loved the hip hop references. Commentary on what defines a woman’s happiness and the effects of gentrification. The perception of weight is so painfully relatable. There’s a lot of good in this book.

My Story

I listened to this story on Audible and I was glued to every word. The narrator Lisa Renee' Pitts voice is magical. Her ability to become each character’s voice was superb. Her voice gave life to Mecca Jamilah Sullivan’s cultural colloquialisms and emotional range to each character.

I kept asking myself did Dr. Sullivan grow up in my home? Author, Mecca Jamilah Sullivan weaves the story of probably every “big girl” in each era in any city across the world. She utilizes the culture chronicles of the Harlem 90s with a little girl eight-year-old girl name Malaya. I related to this young girl being told that her body was a mistake and food was her enemy. It had to be reshaped because it would not be accepted by a male, her health would deteriorate, and she would be a social outcast. With being told by her grandmother, mother, and community daily, what her weight would impede her from doing or being Malaya’s voice is halted and her thoughts move in her mind like a marquee sign. The only vehicle to express herself becomes her artistic abilities and food was her soft cushion that welcomed her with open arms. This is her life well into her teens as she navigates pre-teen and teenage years, discovers, and defines sexuality and love, and unleashes her voice from her cultural and generational belief system.

The novel weaves a collaborative timeline of social, political, religious, and musical events of the 90s. The author weaves in and out certain cultural figures, and Harlem’s rich history, and musical artist spanning several decades earlier that visually and lyrically shows how generational pain if not dealt with will continue. Malaya is a story for young black and brown girls that are being told to be other than, to do as I say, to go without allowing them to know their histories, stories, and to speak and make up their own minds and respect their choices and beliefs. This is a story that will forever be a part of my collection to honor with Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye” that told my story and added to my life.

Masterfully written

Masterfully written and poised to be a classic. The description of La Isla Bonita as intended by Madonna was brilliantly funny and evoked my own childhood nostalgia. Mecca Jamilah Sullivan has a way refreshing way with words that I look forward to experiencing in future works.

Powerful and Moving

This is a powerful book that touches on many difficult themes. At the same time, it's a warm family novel with unforgettable characters and beautifully developed scenes. The grandmother is especially great. Difficult woman and kind of a monster, but totally lovable. The ending ties it all together in a powerful, moving, and believable way!

Lisa Renee Pitts's performance is terrific. She did a great job delineating characters. I found her speed a little slow, but read at 1.4 and it was perfect. Recommended!!

A book I can read over again!

The narrator and the Story of this Big Girl will touch your heart, one can feel every emotion as Malaya goes through her life as a young girl growing into a young adult dealing with morbid obesity and it’s challenges. From getting bullied to the constant criticism of her grandmother and others, as the story takes place in Harlem it took me back to the neighborhood I myself lived in that has since gone through gentrification. Excellent read! Thank you!

Real

This book hit it all for me! I felt like I was with a friend drinking coffee while we sat and talked it felt like my story it felt like a friends store it felt real the pain the joys finding yourself all the ups and downs of life

A Very Nice Story

I enjoy the story. Although the majority of the book is an almost hopeless pursuit of happiness, it was realistic.