Strongly written, poignant storyline and memorable characters makes this debut novel one to share. Heartfelt and emotional story about the life of an anorexic and the people in her life, before, during and after treatment.

I have to say that this book really brought things into clarity for me on the facts of anorexia, as well as other eating disorders and all of its other problems. I will not forget this book because I was so emotionally invested in this book from the first chapter.

Anna is a woman in her mid twenties, who is being driven to 17 Swann Street to enter a treatment program for anorexia. Here we read about her and other girls. Anna is admitted weighing 88 pounds. It is sad to see how these girls suffer so much just to get food down, and he restricted life they are about to live.

The plot moves rapidly through this book, and through it all we see what the eating disorders do to Anna's body, mind and spirit, and the others as well. This book was heartbreaking with a sad outcome for some of the girls.

This book also explores how their disease has touched lives of their families, friends, parents, children, spouses. This disease has far reaching consequences for loved ones, and shame from the ones who are suffering from it. and losses they to suffer.

I am glad I read this book and learned about the subject of eating disorders, I had never given it much thought, and I think everyone should read this. I gave this book 5 stars!

It’s kind of hard to say I liked this book, but I thought it was well done. It was well written and sad and lovely all at the same time. The formatting was strange, not sure if it was just my ARC copy, but otherwise I would recommend it.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an early copy of this book.

I requested this novel, because I was intrigued by the main character's backstory -- that she had once been a professional dancer but now due to a struggle with anorexia, had lost her career. This is not, however, a book about a dancer. It is a book about a patient in a fight for her life -- a battle being waged by a woman against herself.

The beauty of this book is its raw and unapologetic depiction of anorexia. It gives the reader access to the thought processes of someone consumed by their illness in a sort of stream of consciousness rumination as she navigates her way through treatment. It reveals the inner workings of the mind of someone suffering from an eating disorder, all the twisted logic and despair. (I also appreciated that Anna came from a loving family and had, for all intents and purposes, a perfect marriage. This disease does not discriminate.)

I do wish there had been more about her dancing. Ballet is what sparks this fire. And it is also what she ultimately sacrifices. But there is very little about her life outside of her disease (beyond her relationship with her husband).

A compelling and quick read.

(Note: this book is not for anyone who might be triggered by the use of specific weight and BMI measurements.)

This is a powerful, raw story of anorexia, of how it takes hold and won't let go. It's also the story of recovery, and though there isn't a "happy ending," it's full of hope. The first person account elicits emotion and understanding in a way that medical explanations can't. The juxtaposition of Anna's story against the clinical forms and assessments and the third person flashbacks provides a balance to the narrative. This is not an easy read, but I'm glad I picked it up. It will stay with me for some time.

Fascinating look at anorexia and one young woman's fight to fight her way out òf it hold over her. 17 Swan Avenue is a treatment center for young women with anorexia...the book reads very much like Anna's diary...and is a riveting story of her fight to get back to "normal". Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

This book was extremely difficult to read but very eye opening to the awful disease of anorexia. I have a family member struggling with this currently and it breaks my heart to know that she struggles with this every day.

The Girls at 17 Swann Street

A beautiful yet haunting tale of Anna’s struggle to eat and to survive.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
SUMMARY
Anna Roux was a professional dancer who followed the man of her dreams from Paris to St. Louis, Missouri. There, alone with her biggest fears —imperfection, failure, loneliness—she spirals down anorexia and depression until she weighs a mere 88 pounds. Forced to seek treatment she is admitted as a patient at 17 Swann Street, a peach, pink house, where pale, fragile women with life-threatening eating disorders live. Anna, together with the other women in the house must fight their demons every minute of every day to survive. Many do not make it.

REVIEW
Anorexia is a difficult subject to read about. Particular if you know someone that has suffered from it. But this book is worth the read. I walked away with a much better appreciation and understanding and I am so glad I read it. THE GIRLS AT 17 SWANN STREET is a beautiful, yet haunting story of Anna’s struggle to eat and her struggle to survive.

The story is about Anna’s journey as an inpatient and the women she encounters there. The other patients like Emm, Valerie and Julia help show the many faces eating disorders can hide behind. My favorite part was Anna’s amazing relationships with the men in her life. Both her gorgeous husband, Matthias, and her devoted Parisienne father. The descriptive writing captures Anna relationships in such a way as to give you hope for her. Anna is loved and she loves. I loved Anna phone calls to her father in Paris when she was allowed out of the house for a group walk in the mornings. I loved the advice her father had shared with her as a child that resonants even more so today, ‘Keep walking Anna. Don’t stop. Keep walking, Anna.’

The Girls at 17 Swann Street is Yara Zgheib’s debut novel. She is a Fulbright scholar with a masters degree in Security Studies and a PhD in International Diplomacy. She is a writer for several US and European magazines. Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Yara Zgheib for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher St. Martin’s Press
Published February 5, 2019
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

I give The Girls at 17 Swann Street 4 stars. I read this in about 24 hours because I could not put it down! I forgot how enthralling books like this are for me. When I was in high school, some of the most memorable books for me were books like The Bell Jar, The Virgin Suicides, James Frey books, (this was before the truth came out), books about teens who had been committed for various struggles, and even a book about Munchhausen by proxy. But I cannot say I’ve ever read a book where the main character suffers from an eating disorder, and oh my goodness, it was so believable I had to set it down and take a breather. Her character is written in such a real way, the way it was in her head, I panicked with her, my heart raced or stopped with her and I was truly worried about her. I found that this book was well-researched, I enjoyed the fact that there were definitions, but not in a Lemony Snicket kind of way, (explaination for children), and I found the chart notes to be fascinating and helpful to give context to the story. I also found the format to make the book easier to read. All in all I really did enjoy this book and recommend it to anyone that may want to learn more about treatment for eating disorders in a fictional story.
Trigger warnings: there is talk about traumatic pasts, clinical explanations about eating disorders, but in a delicate way, and discussion about self-harm and suicide.

This book took me by surprise by how incredibly honest Anna was. I’ve seen documentaries but I honestly never have read a story about this illness. I am so glad this story is coming out and told by one character’s truth. While I don’t know how close to accuracy this is, I said WTF several times. Girls at 17 Swann St helped me understand what someone suffering is thinking and going through. I appreciate the author putting me in Anna’s head. I felt for her family, but getting Anna’s side helped put a bigger picture together and made me see a new perspective, everything isn’t just black and white. I will admit the ending felt rushed and I am happy for Anna, that’s one part that I felt could’ve been a little more.

Anna Roux was a touching and honest character. She's a woman who has anorexia and weighs just 88 pounds. She's been checked into a full time residential program at 17 Swann Street.
The plot was fast paced and the chapters were short with lots of dialog. The women in treatment with Anna show many different sides to eating disorders and the terrible toll the disease takes on their bodies and spirits. The anorexia has affected Anna’s marriage and relationships with her father and sister. They are all understandably devastated.
I learned a lot about the subject and have gained a new understanding and sympathy for the women who suffer with this illness. It's a candid and uncomfortable story but it was hopeful too.

Interesting topic: Anorexia

Anna Roux age 26 is brought to 17 Swann Street by her husband to be treated for anorexia.

At 17 Swann Street there are lots of rules and everything is monitored. There are 7 women currently at the center. 5 of them including Anna are anorexic. The other 2 are bulimic.

Anna soon makes friends with Valerie, Emm and Julia. Emm has been at the center 4 years (this is her 4th stint).

Meal times brings out everyone's great struggles, everyone must eat what they're given . After 3 refusals to eat a feeding tube is placed in them.

The meals are prepared to gain weight: to gain 2-4 pounds each week per person.

Anna is given the choice to plan all her meals once a week. There are 3 meals and 3 snacks that are to be eaten every day.at 2-3 hour intervals. If a meal or snack is unfinished then it is served at the next meal or snack in addition to the food prepared for the meal or snack

She can choose 7 substitute meal choices for the week.

Valerie curs herself in addition to being anorexic and one day after getting a hold of a pair of scissors she is taken away by ambulance. Anna later learns Valerie has died.

Anna gets more privileges as she "cooperates" . One day she hides what she deems as an "excessive" amount of cream cheese in her napkin and throws it away. Unfortunately that is discovered, so she is given a liquid nutritional supplement to drink to make up for not eating the calories in the cream cheese..


The next day she refuses her meals and her snacks thereby warranting feeding tube be placed in her.

The nutritionist tells Anna she must eat an alarming number of calories per day, ,more than she would eat if she were healthy since she's been starving her body and she has to repair the damage to done to it.


Julia tries to sneak some sweetener packages and becomes combatant. She hits one of the staff and is taken away from the center

During her time at the center Anna's husband continues to visit her.

After reaching her lowest point Anna decides to get better and as she does she is allowed to eat out with her husband once a week but she is given instructions on what she must eat.

She improves enough to be able to leave the center and go to a daily treatment center only from 8 am to 6 pm and allowed to have dinner and a snack at home and sleep at home..


At the end of the book, which is 6 months in the future we see Anna and her husband preparing to fly to Paris.

Lindas Book Obsession Reviews “The Girls at 17 Swann Street” by Yara Zgheib, St. Martin’s Press, Publishing February 5, 2019

Yara Zgheib, Author of “The Girls at 17 Swann Street” has written a poignant, heart-wrenching, emotional, enthralling novel. The author has an amazing way of writing a novel and describing the characters that is feels so realistic in every way. The Genres for this story are Fiction and Women’s Fiction, but it reads so much like a biography or non-fiction book. The timeline of the story is in the present , but goes to the past and future when it pertains to the characters or events in the story. The author describes her characters as dysfunctional, troubled, complex, and complicated. This is a story of sisterhood, emotional support, growth, loss, love, hope and faith.

“The Girls at 17 Swann Street” is a novel of all kind of women with the most extreme of eating disorders that have to make a choice to live or die. When they enter 17 Swann Street, they are signing many of their rights away. There is almost no where else to go.

Anna Roux is one of the main characters, and has entered 17 Swann Street at 88 pounds. She is begging her loving husband to take her home. Many of her bodily functions have shut down, and there is a plan set in place to restore her health. Anna was once a professional dancer, who never felt good enough. Anna is confronted with all kinds of restrictions. She is given 6 meals a day that she has to eat, or there are unpleasant consequences. As a patient , Anna has a team working with her. She also becomes vested in some of the other girls that are there.

Unfortunately as the statistics show, a high percentage of the girls are not able to make it. This is an important book that describes honestly what happens in the world of people with anorexia, bulimia and other eating disorders. I would highly recommend this book for readers who have experienced or know someone who has had an eating disorder, or want to try to understand more about this. I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.

The Girls at 17 Swann Street was written by Yara Zgheib, a debut author. The book however does not read like a new author. It is very well written with a strong emotional impact. The characters are likable and the story brought their stories into the light. I liked how the author was able to weave in statistics about eating disorders to help educate her readers while embroiling them into a story with so many nuances.

Anorexia, an eating disorder is the crisis of Anna Roux. She has been living with the disorder for years as she slowly removes food from her daily menu, until she is living on apples and popcorn. The story of Anna’s life before Swann Street is revealed slowly in every other chapter. The other chapters are about Anna’s daily existence dealing with treatment for anorexia. As a ballet dancer, Anna was always working on staying in shape with cutting down her eating and over exercising...from here it is a slippery slope into 17 Swan Street.

While the novel is labeled a piece of fiction, it is clear that the author knows her information. I would encourage people to read this book. I had no intention of reading it in one day, but I did not want to put it down and devoured the book in one sitting. Yara Zgheib’s novel, The Girls at 17 Swann Street, is an excellent, poignant read.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for a copy of the eARC in exchange for a fair review.


First this book is not yet released, you can pre-order on Amazon or wherever you get books from. It will be released Feb 5, 2019.


Second I fully admit this would not be a book I would normally seek or pick out to read. Usually my book clubs get me out of my wheelhouse, but this time I was emailed with per-approval for the ARC. So I thought why not. I didn't bother to look at the synopsis or even glance at what it would be about.



Anna has just been admitted to 17 Swann Street, she has anorexia, recently she has started passing out as her weight has dropped to a dangerous level. She does not want to be there, but her husband has made her. All of her family is concerned about the weight loss since they moved to America. Anna isn't be honest about her eating or what has got her here.



As she begins to get to know the other women at 17 Swann Street, Anna has to start confronting her choices and begin considering does she actually want to recover or will this kill her. Along the way the friends she made will make their choices as well and some of those will profoundly affect her.



Normally I am vague because it is a mystery and too many clues will give things away, in this case this is a book you should read and immerse yourself in. It isn't a fun book, and it brought me to tears several times. This a deep dive into the head of a young woman who is anorexic and all of the little things that led her down a path that almost killed her. It is very heartbreaking and realistic. I read it all in one sitting. I couldn't put it down even though I didn't always like the writing style. It also strikes at the core of something all women can relate too whether they eat the way they should or if they are struggling with less than healthy choices. I related so much on her thoughts about body issues and it was worse for her as a dancer, because those thoughts were reinforced by people around her initially setting the groundwork for what was to come later.



Even if this isn't something you would normally read I think you should read it anyway!

The storyline deals with the serious subject anorexia. Anna is the protagonist and the story follows her journey through a treatment center. I felt the story was a bit slow and repetitive, however, it did hold my attention. The story is well written and gave insight into the struggles with mental disorders.

*I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.*

As someone who has never struggled with an eating disorder, I wasn't sure what to expect going into this novel. I tend to veer toward the other end of the spectrum (where I eat way too much), so I was quite surprised when I found that I related to some of the main characters obsessions with food. I didn't expect that so much of a book about people struggling with anorexia would focus on food. But, after reading the story it makes a lot of sense. 

The main character, Anna, struggles with so much more than just food. She also struggles with maintaining her emotional state. I had no idea that anorexia can mess with how you handle stress, and that your mood can swing wildly from happy to angry to depressed. I also didn't know that it could cause so many systems of your body to shut down, including your hormones and your heart. She was also exhausted and cold most of the time, which I did not know was a side-effect of anorexia. Anna just could not see the problems she was facing. Throughout, she continually claimed that she only had a little problem with her weight and that she was just trying to be healthy. Her view of herself was completely skewed. 

Being placed in that mindset was heartbreaking and terrifying. There were also thoughts that were uncomfortably familiar to me, as a woman trying to conform to the ideals of society in regard to physical appearance. The fact that so many women feel so much pressure to look a certain way and so turn to these methods to reach that ideal is frustrating and, again, heartbreaking. 

Walking through this struggle with Anna was exhausting, but quite enlightening. It was a really hard book to read, but also an important one. I think it is good to be able to look at this disease from the perspective of someone actively working to overcome it. It helps you to feel empathy for them, and might give you the tools to potentially help someone in your own life, even yourself.

Anna was delirious with happiness when she married Matthias in Paris. When an injury halted her dancing profession, then Matthias was offered a job in Missouri, she followed him to the new country without regret. But with Matthias at work all day, and Anna alone with no friends and no work, her insecurities took hold. And gradually her desire to look and be perfect for Matthias saw her weight at just 88 pounds and her body slowly giving up.

When Matthias took her to 17 Swann Street, she had no idea what would be involved – after all, she wasn’t sick, was she…

Anna’s shock at the other young women who were patients was great. She had no idea that she was as bad as they were. Day in and day out – 6 meals a day; no getting out of eating – psychologists, nutritionists, counsellors – the two diseases which were in the house; anorexia and bulimia – were treated with kindness, firmness and determination. Anna gradually learned a little about the others – Valerie, Emm, Julia, Sarah – as they learned about her. They were there for each other – but what would be the outcome?

The Girls at 17 Swann Street by Yara Zgheib is a heart breaking, emotional look at a disease that strikes silently and swiftly, a disease that no one can beat without treatment, care and support. Told in Anna’s voice, the author has done an excellent job with the authenticity of her story. I felt for Matthias as his love for Anna stayed true; for Anna and her despair, along with the desperation of the other girls. The Girls at 17 Swann Street is a story that will stay with me for a long time, and it’s one I highly recommend.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author Yara Zgheib.
This is the story of Anna and her fight against anorexia, we go through Anna’s ups and downs.
We get to know her before anorexia, how she loved life and eating and, we see her struggling with the disease.
She is fighting so desperately for her husband, her family and ultimately herself. She wants her old life back.
I rooted so much for her to get well and win the battle.
This book was so well written and highly recommend.

This book is powerful.
Anna Roux was a ballet dancer who is injured and then follows her husband from Paris to St. Louis. Thrown amidst unfamiliar surroundings, loneliness, and feelings of no purpose, depression and anorexia get a hold of her. This is the story of how the disease snuck up on her and her journey through treatment at 17 Swann Street.
Anna and the other girls at Swann Street are written so beautifully and poignantly. As I was reading, I could envision them as real people with real struggles – food-oriented and otherwise. The way Anna relates to the other women in the house. The reflection into her past and attempt to rebuild relationships. Her relationship with Matthias is complicated and heartbreaking and hopeful.
Her struggles. Triumphs. Setbacks. I cried. I cheered. I felt.
I did get a little lost at times in conversations as far as who was speaking as there were no quotation marks or clear breaks at times. But the story and characters superseded any of those issues. It all seemed very well researched or experienced as well.
I think this is an important book for people to read to humanize the very real disease of eating disorders.

Trigger Warning: It goes without saying (I hope) but this book centers around anorexia, bulimia, and unhealthy food relationships.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.