This book was captivating. It follows the story of Anna, who enters an inpatient treatment facility for eating disorders. Anna's relationships, occupation and self-image have all be affected and damaged by the hold that her anorexia has on her. But instead of hating the anorexia, she embraces it as the one thing she can control and it feels safe to her. She disguises her impulses as healthy choices. Her husband loves her too much to create conflict in confronting her about her eating disorder.

Hence, we end up meeting the girls at 17 Swann Street. They are all sick. Some of them have been sick for a long time. Some of them have been lying about it for a long time. But somehow, as each girl fights her own battle, they also find ways to encourage and care about one another. Being at Swann Street helps Anna to realize that she has a reason to fight and to live.

This book was so interesting, being in the first person of someone with an eating disorder. I don't think that I have ever really given eating disorders much attention and this book was very eye opening, even as a work of fiction. It was obvious the author did her research or knows this subject intimately in some way.

My one real critique is that the writing, while very lyrical and poetic in a sense, was a little odd in determining the point of view or who was speaking at times. It was all basically told from Anna's perspective, but some of it was in her head (which had to be clarified a few times) and the dialogue was all italicized and blended together between characters. I think this was intentional on the author's part, but I'm not sure that it was the most effective way to create conversation in the story. It wouldn't stop me from recommending this book, though.

Be prepared to have your heart wrecked and shed some tears with this one.

Great, multi-faceted characters. Very interesting plot. Vivid descriptions. I felt every emotion. Kept me intrigued from the first page to the last. Simply a GREAT read!

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

I tried to read this book literally at least a dozen times and I have still never finished it. To me, it was confusing and slow and just never hooked me. I was sad about it because I thought the premise sounded like something I would love. Maybe the pacing is just for a different type of reader.

A special Netgalley Bingo challenge finally got me reading this amazing book. Embarrassed to say that the bingo square was for "oldest book on your shelf". I'm so thankful I took the leap.
Anna has had to leave behind Paris for her husband's job in the United States. She tries to get a job involving ballet since she was a ballerina in France. Back in her earlier days her ex criticized her dancing and pushed her to lose weight even with her being the type of thin that ballerinas fight for. While her husband is busy with his new job, all she can find is working as a cashier in a store. It's easy to see how Anna goes down the road of an eating disorder. Her eating and exercise are the one thing she can control.
When Anna and Matthias return to see her family in France, Anna's father is shocked by how thin she is and insists she get help. After returning home, Anna tells her husband she can be better, but too many nights by herself make her worse. Finally, when Anna passes out, Matthias gives her no choice but to be in a residential facility for those with eating disorders.
Anna really tries to rebel against the rules. She is helped by another patient and the fact her husband can come visit for a few short hours most days. All in all she continues to truly struggle with the many facets of her anorexia even with therapy and meal plans.
The author has constructed a difficult journey for Anna. There are plenty of medical terms that add to the authenticity. I learned some new facts about eating disorders along the way.
I could relate to this book all to well. In my early 20's I had a bout with anorexia. I didn't have to be hospitalized luckily. It was a personal decision to get better. I think what triggered my bout was a co-worker who patted my hips and made some comments about my weight. That set off a flurry of really cutting back on eating and going to a gym on the way home from work everyday. My beautiful daughter had a battle with anorexia, too, in her teen years. Thanks to a good therapist she recovered.
This is a powerful novel that deals realistically with a huge problem, especially in our culture. Young girls are exposed to pictures of women who are truly too thin and they see that it's an image to be desired.
Thanks to St. Martin and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book

Very intriguing book. Books with eating disorders mentioned can be very tough for me to read but I thought Zgheib handled it with grace. It’s probably one of the more honest portrayal of an eating disorder. Also, I like that you actually cared about the girls and their stories and wanted the best for them.

I’m not sure if it was because this was an ARC but the lack of quotation marks made it difficult to decipher if it was an internal thought or actual dialogue. That was really my only issue on the book.

Located at 17 Swaan Street is a treatment center for eating disorders. Anna Roux, a professional dancer, is forced to seek treatment for anorexia when she hits a new low weight of eighty-eight pounds. The story follows Anna's fight against this eating disorder, as well as the stories of other women in treatment at 17 Swaan Street.

While I enjoyed this book, I did find it difficult to read as I have also suffered from an eating disorder most of my life and I definitely wish to point out a trigger warning with respect to eating disorders.

Was too clinical. Didn't keep me engaged. Not for me, I'm sure others will find this life-changing.

For some readers this subject matter can be triggering.

I absolutely loved this book and I'm so grateful to Netgalley for approving me for the title. This is a debut novel for Yara Zgheib, and I hope to see that she's published another title soon. The pace of this novel was just what I needed, and the character development was rich and critical to the plot.

The story follows Anna Roux's struggle with Anorexia Nervosa, and it reflects both on her life before it took hold, as well as her time in a treatment facility with other women fighting the disease as well. Zgheib wrote about her habits, feelings and the physical ramifications of the disease from a well informed viewpoint. Each woman had their own story, and while Anna's experience took a front seat, the relationships formed and witnessed were an important part of the story.

It's an emotional read for sure, but the descriptions of her journey and the food she once loved were compelling. Her relationship with her husband, Mattias, brought both a lightness and a heaviness to the story. I appreciated what I perceive as a realistic portrayal of the impact on family and life, and not everything was tied up in a neat bow. I think this further reflects the author's impeccable research or perhaps a personal connection to the disease.

While it brought me to tears at times, it didn't stay stuck in a place that made it hard to continue.

I highly recommend this and look forward to other novels written by Yara in the future. Five stars!

The Girls at 17 Swann Street by Yara Zgheib is a poignant, emotional read that shines the light on important topic of eating disorders. The writing is poetic and the portrayal of the characters while heartbreaking, shines a light on the fragility of the human spirit as well as the drive to regain control of a life slipping away.

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Well-written. Realistic. Heartbreaking. Compassionate. Powerful. I recommended this to my book club. They loved it!

This was not what I expected. This was a NetGalley read, but I had trouble downloading, so my review is late. This was a hard book to listen to and many times I wanted to stop...but it probably is something that needs to be told.

With that said, this is about anorexia...and it's difficult to read. I honestly don't know a whole lot about anorexia (well I do now) because I have always loved food! Maybe that is the whole thing...people who love food, yet think that they are fat for one reason or the other. It's so difficult to know that this is a thing; it is! and it is awful for everyone involved.

If you want to delve into the thoughts and decisions that this debilitating disease has over you while in the midst of or, if you are curious about a loved one, friend or family member who has dealt with this...read this book. It is really enlightening on the subject.

The Girls at 17 Swann Street is a story that really dives into the topic of eating disorders, anorexia in particular. We experience the story from the point of view of Anna, a married woman in her mid-20's who is suffering from anorexia and a variety of other health issues as a result. It is written from 2 point of views: 1st person in the "present" (2016) during Anna's stay at 17 Swann Street, a treatment facility for women with eating disorders; and 3rd person when looking at the events of Anna's past that lead up to the present.

The book really provides a lot of insight into anorexia, both through Anna's internal struggles and seeing the various ways eating disorders affect the other girls at 17 Swann Street. I think it does a good job at portraying that this is a disease, it is very difficult to overcome, and can be deadly if not treated. It was no surprise to me that it was a story with many sad parts, but I'm glad that we are also able to see a lot of growth in the main character, leaving us with a sense of hope.

I feel like I came away from this book with a better understanding of eating disorders and how they affect both the person with the disorder and those that love them. There were a few parts that I think I would have like to have more information about (Anna's brother, Valerie), but overall, it was a powerful story.

Thank you NetGalley for providing this book for an honest review. This was a really good book that brought eating disorders to life. The author did a great job of developing each character and making you feel their emotions.

Sad, poignant and hopeful. The life of a professional dancer battling eating disorders, self confident, pressure, fear of failure and all that. This was a moving novel that held my attention throughout and gave me the feels.

The Girls of 17 Swann Street was an interesting novel that gave great insight into the life of a person with an eating g disorder. Specifically, it follows a 26 year old woman named Anna who is struggling to overcome her anorexia. I found the novel honest and thought provoking, albeit a little hard since I struggled with food issues as a gymnast. Overall, it was a good, important read.

There have been lots of great reviews on this book, including the NYT. While it was well-written, I just didn't enjoy this book as I wanted to. The subject matter was challenging. I found parts of the narrative stiff and the dialogue sometimes awkward. I will read more of this author in the future!

Note: clearing old books from before 2019

Did not have time to read this book - still on my TBR. Thank you for the opportunity and my apologies for not getting to it.

DNF. The triggers of this book made me unable to read it to completion. I’m sure the writing by the author was great but it just wasn’t for me.

The Girls at 17 Swann Street is a heavier read because of the subject matter, but a good book to prompt discussion about eating disorders and pressures on young girls.

I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

I had requested this book awhile ago (over two years ago at this point) because it sounded interested but I didn't get the chance to read it until now. This book brought up so many emotions for me. I've never experienced the struggle of having anorexia but it seemed like an accurate representation of what those with anorexia must actually deal with. It becomes almost like an addition that they must overcome - and they have to recondition themselves to love their bodies, but they also have to struggle with this for years. The sense of hopelessness that Anna experienced was so heart-breaking - watching what her and the other girls in the house went through. I tend to struggle with eating too much and the guilt that comes from that so I could understand some of the emotions and struggles that Anna went through dealing with her internal demons. A lot of the book was just such an emotional upheaval for the reader - it was a very moving story that ended with feelings of hope. Overall it was a good book and I really enjoyed it. Definitely emotional but I'd still recommend!