The primary focus of the novel is that of Joan's weight issues during childhood and the effect those issues had on her life throughout the novel. Tormented both by peers and her mother as a child for her weight, Joan begins to resent her mother, and uses food as a source for agitation in their relationship. Later in life, Joan decides to lose weight but is unable to merge her new, slim body with her old personality. As a result, Joan begins to form two identities, those of the resentful, angry, shy, and self-conscious heavy girl, and of a strong, independent, bright thin woman. With these two distinct personalities, Joan is unable to tell her lovers throughout life of her past, and finds herself consistently telling lies to cover her true childhood.
As she grows older.....
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