The Best Little Girl in the World (Mass Market Paperback)

by Steven Levenkron (Author) "At the barre the girls moved and stretched, pointed and arched to Madame's precise cadence..." (more)
Key Phrases: Sandy Sherman, Francesca Louise, Central Park West (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Teenager Francesca Deitrich feels too fat, giving into the pressures of her ballet teacher and the pencil-thin models in the media, in a revealing story about a ""perfect"" little girl suffering from the destructive obsession of anorexia nervosa. Reprint."

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (March 7, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446358657
• ISBN-13: 978-0446358651
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (173 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #44,618 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #1 in	Books > Teens > Health, Mind & Body > Body Image
  #48 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Self-Help > Eating Disorders
  #52 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Disorders & Diseases > Eating Disorders

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

70 of 85 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Less Than Zero (This is not even a one star), April 7, 2005

By	Angie Engles (Columbia, MD United States) - See all my reviews

Stay away from THE BEST LITTLE GIRL IN THE WORLD if you can! She is not your friend!

Novels such as this one just reinforce dangerous misconceptions about eating disorders. Steven Levenkron (the doctor who treated Karen Carpenter for anorexia and very possibly contributed to her death) takes what should be an honestly sad, disturbing look at anorexia nervosa and makes it seem "cool."

I never saw the Jennifer Jason Leigh 1981 made-for-tv movie that followed the publication of THE BEST LITTLE GIRL IN THE WORLD, but I can't imagine it was any more sensational (as in tabloid trash) than this number. Ironically enough, it was Levonkron's novel that drew Karen Carpenter to seek out treatment for her disorder. It was under Levenkron's care that she supposedly "recovered" but she gained her weight back too soon without really addressing the issues behind her disease. Back in the early 80s, doctors did not realize that sudden weight gain on a tiny body (exposed to years of self-abuse) wrecked havoc on the heart. It is mind-boggling to wonder if Ms. Carpenter would have been better off with another doctor's care.

Getting back on track, I would just like to add that for better fiction on the subject of anorexia nervosa and bulimia, look to books such as Jennifer Shute's LIFE-SIZE, Julian Medoff's THE HUNGER POINT or the heart-breaking Young Adult novel FAT CHANCE by Leslea Newman. While these books are decent enough, the harsh truth is it is difficult to find quality fiction about eating disorders that don't trivialize or make it appear that having anorexia is neat or trendy or even worse: "Gee, I wish I had anorexia."

It's sad because this is an area that still needs much more serious attention that it receives. Even non-fiction such as WASTED and THE CARPENTERS: THE UNTOLD STORY try to juice up the anorexia factor. Levenkron certainly can't take all the blame nor did he start all the pro anorexia websites floating out there on the net.

For a really compassionate, well-thought out examination of eating disorders, try and find a copy of Hilda Bruch's THE GOLDEN CAGE. Ms. Bruch wrote other books on this topic, too, and she managed to combine professionalism with empathy.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Frighteningly accurate, May 25, 1999

By A Customer

I read this book at the beginning of my own eating disorder, and I wish I could say it was all a lie. It was painful to read because I, like Kessa, am 5'4" tall, but at the time I weighed nearly 30 more pounds than when she began. It's been a while since I read it and its sequel (Kessa), but the impact is permenent. One person said that it was written for people who have trouble reading. I've been reading novels since first grade, and while the literary part was simple, the emotional part was like a bullet. This book was my giudebook, almost my Bible, for a long time in my life. I tried to mirror myself off of Kessa. I wish Kessa was real so that I could go find her and say, "I know you. You're me." Maybe we could help each other. It's the most powerful book I've ever read, except possibly its sequel. But don't read it unless you know you can handle it.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An unforgettable book, December 17, 1999

By A Customer

Not to sound melodramatic, but this book saved my life. I have been battling depresion for years,and was recently tettering on the edge of anorexia. Kessa Dietrich is misunderstood by many.Often people simply cannot understand the fact that she is starving herself. Kessa's family however,is being riped apart at the seams.Her food is the only control she has in her world of confusion. This book should be read by every girl, for who has not,at least once, looked at her self in the mirror,and thought"I'm so fat!". This book opens a window into the mind of the anorexic. More over it opens a window into the mind of a person.