Thank you #NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a ARC copy of this book

This book deals with a serious subject anorexia. The story follows Anna as she goes to a treatment center. I felt the story was a bit slow and repetitive, however, it did hold my attention.

I was very intrigued by the subject of this book.  I don’t often come across fiction that tackles the experience of someone suffering with an eating disorder and I was very interested to see how the story would unfold.  I was pleased with the book overall.  It gave an insight into life in a residential program for eating disorders and the daily struggles a patient encounters as well as its impact on other family members.  I sometimes got confused with the brief intros of the other patients at the residence center, but could see how their arrival/departure impacted Anna, the main character.  I would recommend this title to anyone interested in a view from an eating disorders clinic as a patient tries to determine if she can survive her battle with anorexia.

Although I've never battled anorexia, I was able to relate to the characters as this book really gave me insight to the torture that disease inflicts. Told from likable characters who you really feel for, this story follows Anna, a dancer as she tries to start her career in Paris. So much pressure is put on female dancers, so it was astonishing to read of the world she lives in and the challenges she faces just to do her job. I definitely had more empathy for those with this disease after the book, and would encourage anyone to read it!

Thoughtfully rendered look into the lives that are affected by anorexia. I read this courtesy of Netgalley.com and I am glad that I did. It was haunting; one that will resonate for some time.

This book is a must read. The story is about Anna and her disease, Anorexia Nervosa. But it is also a story of love and sadness, hope and happiness.
The author brought me right to the table with this young lady and the other patients in the treatment center. I could actually feel the struggle they went thru to eat the food they had in front of them and how hard it was to relearn how to like, maybe eventually enjoy food again.
The only thing I knew about this disease was that it killed Karen Carpenter. I did not realize how a brain could convince a person that they did not LIKE food anymore.
       I am not doing enough justice to this book here. Please read it. If you never meet a person with an eating disorder you will still appreciate this book.

I received a copy of this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Anna is a 26 year old former ballet dancer who has anorexia. Her disease slowly begins when she moves to the Untied States from France with her husband. Her husband fearing that Anna may die, forces her to go to an in patient treatment center at 17 Swann  Street. There are several other girls who are all battling their own eating disorder demons. 

At times it was hard to read about the girls and the issues they faced, knowing that many girls/young women are probably going through the same thing in real life.

The author did a great job of being real and yet showing grace in her writing.

I loved the setting of this book and the descriptive writing style this author used to make the reader feel like they were experiencing everything the characters experienced. As a teacher, I found this to be very accurate and relatable. I’ve struggled with body image issues as well as the pressure to be the best at everything. This is more common than ever today with colleges being more and more selective with admissions and GPAs. I really liked this book and I would read it again as well as recommend it to others.

Wow! What a truly memorable, enlightening, and important read. The Girls at 17 Swann Street was one of those books for me that once I got into it, I couldn't bring myself to put it down. I had no idea what to expect when I began reading, due to the fact that mental illness/anorexia and any number of other eating disorders is not only a sensitive topic but something that hits close to home for me personally. Yet I was so utterly and pleasantly surprised at the compassion yet honesty with which the author wrote about it all. Overall it was realistic and heartbreaking, and so incredibly well-written. Plus, any book that brings me to tears on multiple occasions ranks high for me.

This story follows Anna, a twenty-six-year-old married gal, who doesn't recognize her illness, and it takes hitting rock bottom as her husband discovers her unwell for the decision to be made for her to go to this home where she would hopefully recover. That's where the story truly begins, and we see in alternating chapters her current situation on the road to recovery, her relationship with her husband, and also her past which got her to this point. I found that this really kept the story moving forward  and gives readers a raw and real look at how "normal" life can so easily spiral into you never intended for it be due to any number of circumstances. It was also eye-opening and powerful to read her assessment forms, treatment and meal plans, etc. that were all included throughout the story. Basically, it all hit me so hard as my heart absolutely went out to our main character (and the other girls mentioned as well).

It's almost difficult to bring myself to use the word beautiful to describe this book, because it was so haunting and deep at the same time. Yet that's exactly what it was because of the particular way the author tackles the subject matter with such empathy and love. I highly recommend this book to anybody looking to be moved by a less talked about struggle and mental illness, or simply anybody who has struggled with the person they see looking back at them in the mirror. I'm so impressed that this was a debut novel, and will very much be looking forward to what this author may have up her sleeve next. All the emotional and wonderful stars for this one!

This is a heartbreaking and very insightful look into the world of those suffering from eating disorders. It shows the heart ache and suffering of not only those with the disorder, but to those that surround them.  This book had me from the beginning and I could hardly put it down. The author takes you on a breathtaking journey into an understanding of a world that I know very little of. 
This is a great read and will pull at all your emotions. I highly recommend this book. 
Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this novel.

This book offered a depressing yet captivating look at eating disorders.  It was depressing because the stories of the young women at 17 Sean Street is so sad, with little hope that any of them will fully recover and live the lives that they dream of.  It is captivating because I was drawn into the story of Anna Roux, a dancer who hurt her leg, moved from Paris to the United States with he husband, and finds herself spiraling into loneliness, depression and anorexia.  When the book opens, we see Anna entering the treatment house at 17 Swann Street.  The other woman who lives there have stories also, but it is Anna’s story that is compelling and told in detail.  The reader is introduced to Matthias, Anna’s spouse who sincerely wants her to succeed in her recovery.   This was a fiction novel but at times it seemed like an entry from Wikipedia with its detailed description of what the women had to go through in their quest for recovery.  A most memorable scene for me was when Ann had to complete a menu for the week, with six meals each day.  The foods that she used to enjoy and which she no longer eats become evident as she checks off what she is willing to eat daily.  This was a realistic look at a very complex problem.  The struggles of the women are real, and the author presents Anna’s story with empathy and authenticity.  Readers of contemporary fiction will enjoy this book, as will those who want to know more about eating discorders and how it ravages the bodies of those affected and the lives of their loved ones.

I sadly can't say a lot about this book without giving too much away, so I'm gonna keep it quite short.
The Girls at 17 Swann Street's focus is on the thought process that goes on while the main character develops and tries to overcome an eating disorder. It's beautifully written, in a tone and pace that keeps one's attention throughout. It has well-developed characters that are easy to connect to, and it has an interesting storyline. With its theme being the psychology behind someone's eating disorder, it was a bit difficult to read, but at the same time, it's an incredibly moving book.
It's one of the future releases that you shouldn't miss.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press who provided me an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

I don’t know if I can give this  book justice, but I will try.  THE GIRL’S  AT 17 SWAN STREET by Yara Zgheib is a portrayal of disordered eating.  It is told from the point of view of Anna, the main character, who suffers from depression, fears of failure, anorexia and her struggle of recovery. I felt as if Anna was talking to me; telling me her story.

I am a psychologist on the staff of the Student Health Center Department of Psychiatry at a private university. I am also an adjunct professor. One of my specialities is working with patients who suffer from eating disorders. From all of my research, training and treatment of patients with eating disorders, I know first hand how difficult it is for individuals to heal psychologically and emotionally from this condition. This novel is a breathtakingly beautiful novel  that opens your eyes to the demons of eating disorders and mental illness.

I highly recommend this novel.  It will be required reading for my students when it is released.

Anna was once a professional ballet dancer in Paris. When she meets Matthias, it is love at first sight. So she marries him and moves to the States. Hoping to recover from an injury that left her unable to dance as she once had.

Anna has had a lot of heartbreak in her life. Nothing she shares. No, she punishes her body. At 88 pounds she believes she is hideous, and as she begins to fade away, her husband brings her to a home for young women with eating disorders.

Anna chafes against the rules and schedules and doesn't really share much with her team. She tells herself she is a failure, imperfect and lies to herself about how lonely she really is.

There are many girls at 17 Swan Street. All struggling just to stay alive. Some can't eat and some can't stop eating. But with the help of these struggling young ladies, Anna may have the best chance of beating this and returning to being Anna because she has Matthias, someone who wants her to be well and happy.

This was a beautifully written novel. It was unbearably sad and torturous watching these young women try so hard and when one can't go on, my heart broke for them all.



Well Done!

Netgalley/February 5th 2019 by St. Martin's Press

"The chocolate went first, then the cheese, the fries, the ice cream. The bread was more difficult, but if she could just lose a little more weight, perhaps she would make the soloists' list. Perhaps if she were lighter, danced better, tried harder, she would be good enough. Perhaps if she just ran for one more mile, lost just one more pound."

THIS. So hard to process. As a person who LOVES food, this is hard for me to comprehend. But as a woman. It's easy for me to understand. The entire book made me feel uncomfortable.

Anna used to be a dancer. She used to live in France. She used to eat things other than apples and popcorn. We meet her in America, where she is no longer a dancer, she is married, and she is very, very sick. In the middle of hot August summers, she shivers. Her husbands touch makes her flinch because it hurts so much. She passes out, often. It's haunting reading the things that go in her head. It's heartbreaking, and raw and obsessive. It made me anxious just reading what goes on in Anna's head.

You read about how a lot of illnesses are invisible. Like mental illness - you never know if someone is suffering. With Anorexia, it's a little more visible, the sunken eyes, the sharp, pointed angles of bones protruding from shoulders and hips, the brittle hair and damaged teeth.... but to know how this illness plays in ones mind is harrowing. I was shocked. I had no idea.

Anna's husband knows how frail and sick she has become and he faults himself for letting it get so bad. He brings her to 17 Swann Street, to get help - it's a home for women with eating disorders. Mostly Anorexia like Anna. We follow her journey, her struggles and pain and denial, trying (and not trying) to get better. We learn her history, how just a few years ago she was eating pizza, and ice cream, and loving every minute. The downward spiral she takes is heartbreaking.

I LOVED the writing style, almost like a script. It's peppered with intake notes about her health, history, and "progress", and the paragraphs are short - but easy to follow. It's a hard one to read, but it's even harder to put down.

I loved this book. I usually do not read this genre, but I am so glad I did. The emotions and insights of anorexia were very prominent. I loved the connections the girls at 17 Swann Street had. The description of the struggle with food was interesting. It shows how a support system is more important than any of us truly realize.

I've read other books with characters who have anorexia, but none were quite as moving as The Girls at 17 Swann Street. The lyrical writing of Yara Zgheib made the book hard to put down. The story is told from the POV of a twenty six year old woman, Anna Roux, as she enters a residential treatment center for eating disorders. It is a heartbreaking story, but full of hope. Through Anna we see other girls at 17 Swann Street and learn how their relationship to food controls their lives. The reader learns about Anna's past in small glimpses of memories. It's a painful story, but one that sticks with you after you're done.

When Anna arrives at 17 Swann Street, she doesn't see her 88-pound weight as a problem, or the fact that she is always cold, tired, and feels old beyond her years. At times, barely able to walk, Anna knows her enemy and it is food, not her failing body. Anna's internal voice has its own name, anorexia, and it will do whatever is necessary to win.
Anna remembers before when she was a ballet dancer when an injury stole her career when she loved her family, her husband, and her life. But those things happened before this disease pushed everything aside in its quest to control Anna and make her thin. The thought of eating more than a slice of apple and some popcorn makes Anna ill, but the staff at 17 Swann Street know that only calories( and therapy) can save Anna's life.
For someone like Anna, eating 3 meals a day and 2 snacks is paralyzing. A nutritionist oversees every patient's meal plan and failure to finish every bite in the allotted time will result in the insertion of a feeding tube. It is painful to witness Anna's struggles and unbearably sad to know that no matter what the staff does, no matter how much her husband loves her, no matter how this disease is breaking her father's heart, it still might win.
This was not an easy read, but I couldn't put it down. The story was just too compelling and beautifully written. The author wrote about an illness that can become your master and literally kill you. 
I had a hard time rating this book, not because it wasn't heartbreaking, and not because it didn't feel real, but because the timeline seemed just a bit rushed. I didn't think someone who had spent years avoiding food, could so quickly start eating so much food from Day 1. I realize this is fiction, but it just seemed that someone with such a severe illness wouldn't be capable of doing what the staff wanted without much more of a fight( or more time getting inpatient treatment).

I received a DRC from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley.

Anna's story is heartbreaking.  The Girls at 17 Swan are all suffering from anorexia or bulimia.  As I have always from these diseases to be interesting, I was excited to read this book.  I have to say while I read about and even giving speeches on these diseases, I never really thought about the impact it has on the individual and their loved ones.  This book gave you a deep dark in-depth look at what it looks like to try to "recover".   Anna is the main focus, but you find yourself hoping all the girls find their way to recovery.  I can't say enough about how honest and touching this book was.  I highly recommend it to everyone.  I think if you know someone suffering it may give you a deeper look from their side. 


I received an ARC from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.

The Girls on 17 Swann is a beautiful, well written glimpse into the mind and life of a young woman struggling to overcome a debilitating disease known as anorexia.  The story follows her through her daily struggles while living in a residential treatment center for anorexia. With her own demons to fight and outside pressures at times she feels as if it is too much. This is a very caring book that will grab your heart and you will be rooting for her and the other girls at 17 Swann! 

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me this arc for the privilege of writing my honest review.
This is definitely my honest feeling about this book...lovely.

THE GIRLS AT 17 SWANN STREET is a powerful story that provides so much insight into the stigmas surrounding eating disorders and what patients with eating disorders go through in hopes of recovering. 

The main character (Anna) was a ballet dancer in Paris, but could only find work as a supermarket cashier when she moved to America with her husband (Matthias). Anna, who has struggled with anorexia for years, becomes extremely depressed and ends up at 17 Swann Street, a live-in treatment center for women with eating disorders. There, she meets other patients who are also “very sad” and “just trying to starve the feeling out.” The girls commiserate with each other and offer support to each other when they can.

Without being able to dance and having to work a job she didn’t like, Anna felt she had no purpose in life. Not even her husband or family, whom she loved very much and wanted to get better for, could fill that awful void. Readers who do not suffer from eating disorders will still be able to relate to the void Anna feels, and the feeling of doing what you can to try to feel in control of a situation you have no control over. In Anna’s case, it is controlling what she does or does not eat. I was a bit concerned by the end of the book, the author would magically make all of Anna’s many dreams come true, but that was not the case (not a spoiler). The author gave her something to strive for while acknowledging she was far from cured which I thought was realistic and allowed the reader to come to his or her own conclusions about Anna's future. This was an excellent book that I couldn't put down.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions are my own.