How the Fat Girl Got Thin chronicles the daring lives of two best friends since childhood: Coco Stark and Edie Clearwater. Both struggle with alcohol addiction, weight problems and the inability to be happy. Working dead-end jobs, unable to find love and fighting depression,Edie and Coco are compelled to take positions as English teachers in Ao Luek, a remote village in southern Thailand.

As the only two foreigners in the village, they must learn to balance personal failings with cultural realities, as they both slowly come to realize that their friendship is crumbling. When Edie discovers Coco’s terrible secret, she is forced to confront the value and unwritten rules of friendship. continue