Mystery novel weighs in on hurtful stereotypes

Young Chang

Sue Ann Jaffarian wanted to correct a few myths:

Overweight, middle-aged women don’t sit around draped in ripped

clothes eating bonbons in front of the TV.

They like to look pretty and dress up when going out at night.

They shop, get their nails done and giggle when they’re in love just

as much as thin, young women do.

And they can be heroines, too.

Not the best friend of the thin girl or the generous soul next door

who gives good advice, but the star.

Jaffarian’s first published mystery novel “Too Big To Miss,” set in

the Newport-Mesa area where she used to live, introduces such a heroine.

The name is Odelia Grey, she’s 40-something and a paralegal. She sets out

to solve the mystery of a size-activist friend who is said to have

committed suicide live on an X-rated webcast.

She is funny and likeable and, of course, plus-sized.

“Overweight women are still sitting in the back of the bus,” said

Jaffarian, whose book will hit select stores by the end of the month. “In

the arts especially, they’re really treated as second rate... Why?

Because it’s an acceptable prejudice -- it hasn’t been covered by the

non-PC police. Society hasn’t come out and said you can’t treat people

this way.”

Jaffarian, 48, has promised herself that Odelia will never shrink

below a size 18. In future novels, she will be concerned about being

physically fit, but she will never obsess about her weight.

“I’m not saying we should all eat and be 300 pounds,” she added. “But

it’s important for me that reality be reflected in my book. And the

reality is that large people -- men and women -- are a part of everyday

life.”

To Jaffarian, reality also includes people who are disabled,

middle-aged, big nosed, gay or lesbian and other personalities often

overlooked by the media. “Too Big” focuses on the issue of weight, but

Jaffarian’s next book probably won’t.

“I know about being overweight, so that’s what I wrote about, but I am

passionate about people in general being treated fairly,” she said.

Did it take courage to write “Too Big?” Jaffarian says yes, because

writing in general requires guts. But creating a plus-sized heroine and

addressing the subject of weight discrimination specifically didn’t take

any more courage.

“‘Cause I’m passionate about it. It’s almost to the point where they

can’t shut me up,” Jaffarian said, laughing but firm. “I wanted to give

women who have been shoved aside, someone to call their own.”

Women are supportive of the author’s mission. Cast members of “Think

of Colette,” a play by Beth Crawford being put on by the Readers

Repertory Theater in honor of Women’s History Month at the Newport Beach

Central Library and the Mesa Verde Library in Costa Mesa this week, say

it takes guts to fight for something you feel strongly about.

“I support anything which expands the concept of women heroes and gets

away from the narrow kinds of stereotypes we have,” said Jeanne Nelson, a

Laguna Niguel resident who will play the principal role. “The idea of

allowing her to be different too -- to be a different body type -- is

great.”

Producer and director of the show Edith M. Schwartz said many will

probably relate to the subject of discrimination.

Nelson, a marriage and family counselor, agreed, saying the majority

of women today are not happy with their bodies.

“I do think it’s interesting how much our body images of women changed

over the last 20, 30 years,” she said. “The acceptable norm is getting

narrower and narrower. ... I do think that’s something that’s needed:

more positive role models for women.”

Jaffarian said her women readers have responded positively so far.

Overweight and slender women alike have told her the book “hit home.”

“Because slender women have to fight to keep their weight down too,”

she said. “They’re afraid of being ridiculed for their weight.”

Susan Groeneweg, a long-time friend and fan of Jaffarian’s, predicts

that men as well as women will respond warmly to “Too Big.”

“The message that’s underneath is that we all deserve 100%

acceptance,” she said. “And not necessarily just about weight.”