The Girls at 17 Swann Street is a painstaking look at the world of anorexia nervosa. What a hideous disease it is.

It takes place in a recovery home with Anna, a former ballet dancer, and several other girls revealing their stories bit by bit. The major portion of the book takes place in about a six-week period with flashbacks to other parts of Anna’s life, both before and during her life with Matthias.

While the whole concept of living with anorexia is foreign to me, I was absolutely mesmerized by this book. I could hardly put it down, even when my eyes were on the verge of closing. It clearly depicts the struggles, ever present, of the anorexic. It is not a disease to be taken lightly or scoffed at with comments like, “Just eat!”

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It captured me. Well done, Ms. Zgheib. Thank you to you and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review your book.

I’ve made it 100 pages in and will not be finishing. The writing is had to read at times with the way she does speaking parts. I have zero interest in the character because it’s only about her eating disorder. I rolled my eyes at naming a character with anorexia “Anna”. Two stars because maybe someone will have interest in the subject and it wasn’t comically bad writing, it just isn’t for me.

This was a somewhat tough read because eating disorders are a tough subject. But I was immediately taken in by the characters and wanted each one to succeed in defeating their diseases.

Wow!

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press, I received an ARC of "The Girls at 17 Swann Street." It sounded promising based on the synopsis and I looked forward to giving it a shot.

This book was nothing short of compelling.

I had trouble putting it down and the characters stayed with me, not only the main character but the other girls in the house, Anna's husband Matthias, and even "Direct Care"- the somewhat ominous and initially confusing name given to the Staff at 17 Swann Street. At first I did not get at all why a character would be given such a name, but somehow it worked, and worked well.

I can't speak to how true or "on point" this book is from the perspective of what it might be like to be anorexic (or to put it more properly, a person with anorexia, or bulimia) although Lord knows I struggle some with weight and food, but I honestly enjoyed reading this book and I also felt like I learned something as well.

Highly recommend!

4 plus stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for a ARC of The Girls at 17 Swann Street. All opinions in this review are solely my own and I received no compensation.

A job offer he cannot refuse brings Matthias and his wife Anna from Paris to America. While he goes to work every day, Anna sits alone at home doing nothing. In France, she had been a ballet dancer until an injury made her stop. In the US, she is nothing and she is getting fatter day by day. She starts to work out, plans longer runs and eats less. Until she doesn’t eat anymore. That’s when Matthias brings her so 17 Swann Street to cure her anorexia. Accepting the illness is hard for Anna, butr finding a way back into life is even harder.

Yara Zgheib focusses in her novel on Anna’s stay at Swann Street. What happened before is told in flashbacks and fragments, it takes some time until you get the full picture of what lead the young woman there. But much more importantly than the Why is the question how and if she can be cured. The rules are strict, yet, that’s what they have got to be. And it is all but easy for Anna.

To me, Anna as well as the other girls are portrayed in quite an authentic way. It is easy to follow their thoughts, even though it’s the thoughts of girls who are ill and suffering from an eating disorder. They have their own logic and demons that they have to fight. I guess people who have never been confronted with this disorder can better understand what is going on the head of a person suffering from it after having read the novel. Yara Zgheib doesn’t embellish the hard way back to life and she doesn’t conceal relapses either. But she gives hope that there is a life after anorexia and that there are reasons why you should keep fighting it. A wonderfully written novel which hopefully gives some a goal worth living for.

The Girls at 17 Swann Street is a deeply intimate portrayal of eating disorders. The author executes the story with care and impressive knowledge in the area making it a realistic story. I deeply connected with the characters and felt as if I were on the journey with them.

It's refreshing to read a book about an adult woman with an eating disorder (i.e. not YA) because, although eating disorders most commonly develop in adolescence, when it comes to fiction - they tend to, like, stop existing once people reach adulthood. But contrary to the stereotype that eating disorders are a 'teenage girl' problem, they are nonetheless experienced by many individuals of all gender identities beyond and sometimes before one's teenage years.

So that's one of the more unique perks I can attribute to The Girls. The prose is poetic at times, wistful in both tone and format - not dissimilar honestly to the mental fog that one can experience with malnourishment. It's interesting to have an ED protagonist who is married, as the spousal relationship - and other familial relationships within the novel - introduce more complexity to protagonist, Anna's experience with anorexia.

The treatment setting is always one of intrigue, too. As someone who has knowledge of eating disorder residential/inpatient settings, I was disappointed by some of the author's descriptions of treatment within the novel, although I'll readily admit that treatment centers can vary greatly in their attitudes and approaches. I felt there was a decent amount of hyperbole that tended to bring me out of the story - either because it was amusing, or just unrealistic. But yes yes yes, experiences of eating disorders as well as one's experiences in treatment vary person to person.

I was also a bit disappointed by the stereotypical descriptions of fellow patients, as well as Anna herself at times. I mean #letsstopnaminganorexiaprotagsAnaorAnna2k18. In general, the population of patients described very much mirrored [mythical] mainstream, cookie-cutter ideas of individuals with eating disorders: thin (unless you're *sweats nervously* bulimic), "pale" (read: white?), aged 20s or 30s. The lack of diversity, or lack of openness to even acknowledge that people with anorexia are not always thin, etc etc - was not new or unique to this novel, but it held The Girls back from being more of an outstanding example of ED lit.

Regardless of my criticisms, I still enjoyed this book. As someone who has personal attachment to eating disorders and mental illnesses in general, I tend to be drawn to books exploring these topics, anyway. Zgheib's writing is beautiful at times in this, insightful, and still sort of lovely for what aspects of living with anorexia she does explore with more depth.

**I would, however, add a strong trigger/content warning for readers who struggle with their own eating disorder, as numbers (weight, calories, BMI, etc) are mentioned throughout, as well as descriptions of restrictive and bulimic behaviors.

3.5/5 stars

This is one of those books that I wasn't sure I would appreciate but wow! Zgheib has done a fabulous job of helping laymen understand what it's like to go through the mad world of eating disorders. She wove the story beautifully around a young wife and her struggle to overcome her disorder.

I did not anticipate liking a story about anorexia, but I was very wrong. Picked up the book and couldn't put it down. Very touching storyline with very believable characters. Thank goodness there are places like 17 Swann Street for people who struggle with anorexia!

I wasn't sure about reading this book, but I am really glad I did. It is the story of Anna, a young woman who is suffering from anorexia. It has got to the stage where she needs to be in a residential institution, and she moves in to 17 Swann Street. Here, she and a number of other women undergo treatment for their eating disorders. Obviously this is not the most cheerful of subjects, and I found myself close to tears a number of times, but I feel that it helped to give me an insight in to the horrors of these illnesses. For that reason, I would recommend this book. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
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This may just be my fave read of the month! This book is so beautifully written, and the main character has such a compelling voice that I could not put it down. It is filled with lovely vignettes that really enhances the reading experience.

I have been fascinated with anorexia since I read The Vegetarian by Han Kang. As much as that novel was a mesmerizing, surreal experience, The Girls at 17 Swann Street has impressed me not only with its lyrical writing but with hard facts that really helped me understand the disease. This novel is such an eye opener: anorexia is not just about lack of self confidence or vanity. It is a mental health illness that has to be addressed or else it will have deadly consequences.

I spent the whole time reading this book rooting for the main character and all the girls at 17 Swann St. I laughed and I cried with them. It is really an intense experience. This is a must read if you like stories about fighting your own demons and celebrating life. It teaches that not only should we learn to love ourselves, but also take responsibility for those that love us.

The Grils at 17 Swann Street is an incredible book. Beautifully written with heart and soul. The description of a young, married anorexic woman almost takes my breath away. The writing shows feelings and fears that I have never read before. It's utterly amazing. There is no question that this will be a best selling book.

The Girls at 17 Swann Street was absolutely heartbreaking, haunting, and beautiful. Although I've never suffered from anorexia, I felt myself relating to everyone in the book. I immediately felt empathy and love for Anna, and couldn't help but hope and pray that she would make it and overcome her monstrous battle. I had to read this one slowly because it was just so heavy and sad, but the writing was beautiful and absolutely relatable. Yara Zgheib is incredibly talented as a writer. I was sucked into this story from the first page .HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

5 out of 5 stars for The Girls at 17 Swann Street.

thank you St. Martin's Press and Net Gallery for a digital copy of The Girls at 17 Swann Street by Yara Zgheib.

This is a very good read, not only is it a story but I learned a lot about anorexia. This is the first book I've read on the subject and gave me some insight into the life of someone with a eating disorder. Anna meets friends on 17 Swann Street and is learning to come out of her shell and deal with her disorder. I absolutely loved the romance between Anna and her husband. I recommend this book to anyone friends, family.

thanks again

Cherie'

#The Girls at 17 Swann Street #NetGalley is a very informative first novel by Yara Zgheib. The girls living here are all suffering from eating disorders. Anna has had anorexia nervosa for a long time. As a professional ballerina, her staying thin was absolute and she took it to an extreme. An injury took that away from her but her image of herself being thin didn’t change. Finally, her husband Matthias convinced her to go to Swann St for help. All the girls have underlying mental problems, need to recognize them, and be trained to eat again. Their meals and snacks are individually prepared, and there are consequences for not finishing at a given time. The bathrooms are lockek! Support and understanding from family and friends and even with the other girls is so important. Matthias comes to see Anna everyday. His love is so important and not always easy. Recovery requires a long time and may not be permanant. The reader wants to tell Anna and the other girls to keep trying and not give up! We become invested in all of them! It’s a special book with a story to tell and teach!

The Girls at 17 Swann Street by Yara Zgheib was an emotional read about a girl, Anna, who struggles with anorexia. Very powerful story. I, personally, enjoyed it. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and #Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

Very intriguing and emotional read! I was really enthralled by the whole thing.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

As a survivor of both anorexia and bulimia, this is a must read for those who suffer from ED. The emotions and associations with food could not have been more spot on and it was a tough read but necessary for those who choose to live and not have a life dictated by food. Thank you for this honest depiction.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader's copy of this book!
I loved it. The Girls at 17 Swann Street is raw, real, heartbreaking and most of all: human. This one enthralled me!

I am a former therapy associate. Working with eating disorders was something I never aspired to because I didn’t think I could deal with the heartache. Research has shown how difficult it is to treat eating disorders and this author has painted such an accurate picture that it’s almost painful to read. Anna, the main character, has had so much unresolved grief piled on top of her, situations over which she has mostly had no control. Her anorexia began subtly, in the midst of a heartbreak, when she felt fat and ugly and ‘not chosen.’ Gradually, Anna realized there WAS something she could control-her food intake. And over time, her brain learns to lie to her and tell her she hates the food she used to love. Despite losing a lot of weight, what she sees in the mirror is a fat young woman.

This is the story of Anna and the husband who loves her, and the girls at 17 Swann Street who help her heal.