Fat People are Jolly: (chronicles of a weird youth)

is a semi-autobiographical novel that relates with humour and sadness a journey that saw little Derek Vauquelin go from being a very young rich orphan to a social welfare teenager, eventually ending up on amazing movie sets as part of the crew. A crazy upbringing populated with bullies at every corner that he handled as best he could. The media whirlwind of a criminal trial surrounding his father’s death, luxurious travels intertwined with embarrassing visits to the Salvation Army, a tragic night at a Catholic boarding school, late nights with a frisky nanny, various experimentations with homemade explosives leading to insurance problems, hosting duties of a popular community channel TV show... basically everything but the proverbial kitchen sink. The book is written as Derek Vauquelin’s personal journal, giving us a privileged view of his state of mind over the years.