The Girls at 17 Swann Street is a novel about anorexia. I would never in a million years have chosen to read a novel about anorexia if I hadn’t read so many positive reviews. My initial thoughts are that it’s sure to be sad, depressing and somewhat predictable. But somehow Zgeihb’s novel defied my expectations. This quick novel is told from Anna’s perspective. Anna is 26 years old, married and has just been admitted to a facility for women with eating disorders. The story is told entirely from Anna’s point of view, providing some background to what let her yo 17 Swann Street and some insight into its other inhabitants. What makes this novel work is the writing — and in particular the immediacy of Anna’s narrative. There’s a beauty and a sadness to Anna’s unrelenting inner voice — the tug of war between Anna who knows what she needs to do to become healthy and Anna who is being consumed by her anorexia. This is not a story told with melodrama or false hope. It feels very real. Which makes sense given that it’s based on the author’s own experience. Well worth reading. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.

Decent story predicated on a young, married ballerina struggling with anorexia. As she struggles with body dysphoria and feeding treatments, she wonders where her life heads. Though well-written, plot-wise, I couldn't help but feel detachment towards this character because the disease became the biggest character trait. I wanted more backstory than given. Also, the title's a bit of a misnomer as Anna's the girl and the other girls sit in the background. I expected different patient perspectives instead of one.

Oh well. At least the ending's hopeful.

3/5

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin’s Press, and Yara Zgheib for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are 100% my own and independent of receiving an advance copy.
Rating 4.5 stars.

The Girls at 17 Swann Street is a heart-wrenching, punch-in-the-gut, story about a young woman with anorexia. Zgheib gives an honest, raw account of the struggles that women with an eating disorder face while trying to battle this disease. This is not the first that I have read on this subject matter, as I studied and wrote about it during my academic years, but this story had a huge impact on me. I found it so effective that Zgheib chose to do it through fiction, crafting a story that looks behind the curtain, at the core of this sickness, destroying the myths that surround it, the highs and lows, and the different manifestations of the disease, the toll it takes on their bodies, their family members, and the different outcomes that may come to pass.

This is an up close and personal story of Anna, as she faces her demons, trying to get well. When we meet Anna she is 88 pounds and after passing out and being in the hospital has decided to voluntarily check herself into a home that helps women with eating disorders. There are strict rules that she must follow, with consequences if she doesn’t. For example, she must eat all of the required food, in an allotted amount of time. After three refusals you get the feeding tube (which is horrific - yuch!). Now it might not seem difficult for you or I, to eat a bagel and cream cheese within 30 minutes, but to someone who is sick, the battle of trying to force it down is real. And they have to eat 3 times a day and two snacks. To hear what goes on inside a person’s head was excruciating. At some point, they all break down and can’t do it. What’s interesting is that she would say I am a vegetarian, I don’t eat dairy, just give me a substitute and I didn’t really understand why they didn’t accommodate her. I was with Anna, I thought the nutritionist was a horrible person. If she wanted vegetarian, why force her? But as you go along the journey, you begin to understand that none of it was true and that Anna actually LOVED bagels and cream cheese. It was the disease talking, not Anna.

With flashback scenes, we get to hear Anna’s story and how she got to arrive at 17 Swann Street. We meet all kinds of girls at the home, some bulimic, some repeat customers so to speak. One girl had been going to Swann Street for four years. All heartbreaking stories of different manifestations of this disease. Some don’t make it. But the love and support that the girls give to each other was incredible. You begin to understand how they need the routine. Anna knows she is lucky because she has a family and husband who love her, who give her a reason to get better. Anna begins to realize how this has impacted all of them, how she withdrew from life, how incredibly strong you have to be to overcome and what it will take to get better. Will Anna make it? We hope so. Unlike an alcoholic, who can simply remove alcohol from their life, food is constant and you need to eat to live. It is something you have to deal with every day. I loved this story. It reaches inside you and touches your heart. You can’t help but root for these girls. This is one story you won’t want to miss.

This is a well-written and painful look at anorexia, a condition that affects so many people in today's society. The characters are very realistic and the narrative is compelling. It's a very sad story but one all too common. Reading about Anna's life and struggle is heartbreaking.

I found this to be a mesmerizing story. The first person style was ideal for experiencing the emotions of the main character, Anna. I forgot that I was reading a novel. The author certainly showed the nature of this terrible illness and the very real struggle that patients face in attempting to regain control over their eating. Of course the subject is depressing and painful, but there always seemed at least a glimmer of hope that Anna would recover. I have no complaints about any part of this story. I thought that every bit of it was believable, and it genuinely portrayed the feelings and emotions of someone with an eating disorder.
The main focus of course was on Anna's anorexia, but the other characters were also well developed. The connections that Anna makes with the other girls at 17 Swann Street were just as important to the story as her relationship with her husband, Matthias. Although each girl was battling her own demon, there was a fragile bonding that came from someone else understanding what no one else around them could. I found this particularly moving and emotional. Yara does such a wonderful job of letting us into Anna's head.
I also couldn't help but root for Matthias and Anna's marriage. Their love definitely seemed to transcend the love of most couples. Without the persistent and committed love of Matthias, I'm not sure that Anna would have had the courage to keep fighting. It was a beautiful picture and one that I desperately hoped would withstand the strain.
This is a serious novel that isn't afraid to face the reality of an eating disorder or the devastating effect it has on anyone who is connected with it, yet it is beautifully presented. Bravo!
My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title. Since it is now available for purchase, I would highly recommend it to anyone who has an interest in better understanding eating disorders or who enjoys serious relational fiction.

Thank you @NetGalley for the great read. This is a painfully, real story of anorexia told my the patient herself. “I am not undernourished. I am starved for a meal I would not have to eat alone. For someone to love me and tell me that I am more than enough, as I am.” This book not only gave me a better understanding of the disease, it gave me a look into the psychological pain it often inflicts on the patient and their family.

A hauntingly powerful story alive with heartbreak and hope!

Yara Zgheib’s debut is a stunning story resplendent with compassion and heart! An important story, a story that needed to be told, and that could not have been told any better than it was in this book...Miss Zgheib handles the tough and emotional subject of eating disorders with a gentle and loving hand... she handles the subject in a realistic and raw manner, but never lost sight of or compassion for those who suffer.... approximately 1 in 20 Americans suffer from some type of eating disorder in their lifetime... I have work in the fitness industry my entire adult life and I can attest to the fact that eating disorders can manifest in many forms and at any age... my daughter was a competitive dancer when she was younger and the same rules apply in the dance world... there is such an emphasis in so much pressure on women young and old to be thin and fit and perfect especially today when so much is out there on social media.... I truly believe this story will make so many women realize that they are not alone and that there is so much more to life than being thin....

This is Anna’s story... Anna is a 26-year-old exdancer who just moved from France to Missouri with her loving husband Mateus... Anna used to be happy and full of life, she used to be able to enjoy ice cream and french fries... then her relationship with food became toxic and life-threatening... One day when her husband found her after she fainted in the bathroom, they knew it was time for her to get help.... that is when Anna enters the treatment center at 17 Swann Street...

The story is told from the present and the past... Anna’s life leading up to her present situation, including an abusive boyfriend... as well as Anna’s time spent in the treatment center... I really enjoyed getting to know all the girls at 17 Swann Street and hearing their own unique stories.... I also like how the meal plans and treatment notes were interspersed throughout the book, it really added some authenticity to the story... Anna was such a sweet caring girl with such a big heart I had so much compassion for her throughout the story... I was so happy she had such an amazing support system within the treatment center and an incredible husband who was really a rock!

Such an elegant, honest, and emotional story that will have a hold on your heart long after the last page has been read! Absolutely recommend!

🎧🎧🎧 The audiobook was narrated by one of my favorite narrators Saskia Maarleveld... she told the story with so much compassion and beauty... she really painted a beautiful picture with her voice!

🎵🎵🎵 song running through my head, this was not easy I needed to find a hauntingly beautiful song that really was worthy of such a lovely story!
<i>Well I've heard there was a secret chord
That David played and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?
Well it goes like this:
The fourth, the fifth, the minor fall and the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Well your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew ya
She tied you to her kitchen chair
And she broke your throne and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
But baby I've been here before
I've seen this room and I've walked this floor
You know, I used to live alone before I knew ya
And I've seen your flag on the marble arch
And love…</i>

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xR0DKOGco_o

*** many many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for my copies of this beautiful book ***

There seems to be a recurring theme regarding body image in literature as of late. This book and one by Randy Susan Meyer focusing on the flipside of anorexia both hit hard and take no prisoners.
Anna trained to be a ballerina but due to an injury had to surrender that dream. She has moved from France to America with her husband, Matthias.
Somewhere along the way, Anna develops issues with eating. For her own welfare, she is admitted to 17 Swann Street, a center that deals with eating disorders.
Confront inner demons, make peace with the past and embrace a healthy body image are all key factors to surviving the illness of anorexia.
Anna will make that journey with several other women all in various stages of eating disorders. Will she conquer the illness? More to the point, will she survive?
This book is so well written that you're drawn in completely. You long for each character to succeed and live a long, normal life in a curvy bodies.
You almost feel as though you're reading Anna's diary or journal as well as her medical charts.
Do not pass this up. Heart wrenching yet hopeful, this novel simply shines.
I received a Advance Review Copy from St. Martin's Press. All opinions are my own.

This “story” is one I know a little too well, having fought with my own eating issues. But it had been a long time since I’d read a book centering around anyone with anorexia or an eating disorder in general. Back when I was fighting my own demons, I was obsessed with these stories, and devoured them…even going as far as writing every “Term Paper” in high school on the topic. I’m well versed in eating disorders. Anna’s background and personality ticked all the boxes one would expect. Lonely, and dealing with a life she no longer recognized, she controlled things the way she knew how…through diet and exercise. It’s something a lot of us do in one way or another. I could relate to her story, and the stories of the other women she encounters at the treatment center. I felt empathy for their plight. But I never felt truly connected to any of the characters, and I think a lot of that had to do with the writing style of the novel.

Structurally, this book threw me off from the get-go, and I’m normally not someone who struggles to follow books with unusual punctuation or time patterns. But this baby was all over the place, and it took me until over halfway through the book to get over my difficulties with it. At first I thought it might have been an egalley issue, and perhaps the finished product wouldn’t be the same way…and I try not to include issues like that in reviews because I know those problems will never be something a regular reader will have to deal with. But I’m fairly certain in this book’s case, it is just the author’s style. In the course of each chapter, there are flashbacks with no warning…they come out of the blue, and it always takes a few sentences in before you realize when they take place. Then there are the conversations, which have zero punctuation, so you’re left wondering if someone is speaking, and who exactly it is that’s talking. It really is…odd. And because of it, I couldn’t dredge up the feelings I should have for the subject matter.

I also believe that this treatment center is something fantastical that can’t exist in the insurance/medical world that I know of in the United States, and I even say that as someone who has only been a recipient of Military medical care as an adult. But from my scant knowledge of how money and treatment facilities work in the U.S., this is pure fantasy. Which is also fine, unless you’re striving for realism in a book involving subject matter that is very serious, and I believe this is. And please don’t get me started on the women at this facility being referred to as “Girls” throughout the book. In a medical setting, I don’t think it would happen.

There were too many irritants to allow me to fully become invested in the WOMEN residing at 17 Swann Street. Which is a shame because this book should’ve cut me to the core and left me feeling all sorts of emotions. Instead it left me feeling kinda meh. Not a horrible book in any way, and I seem to be in the minority regarding my thoughts. But Lord help me, if you can’t handle unconventional structure…do not pick this book up. And I say that as someone who mainly dishes out 4 and 5 star reviews constantly.

Huge thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for giving me a chance to read the novel. Y’all know I don’t enjoy writing reviews that are less than gushing!

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the chance to read and review, "The Girls at 17 Swann Street
by Yara Zgheib. What a debut! This work of Women's Fiction truly does not feel like fiction, it feels like non-fiction. Anna is a young women who struggles with anorexia. Anna finds herself at 17 Swann Street, amongst other girls who are fighting eating disorders. As someone who has never struggled with an eating disorder, this is a truly eye-opening account inside the mind of someone who does. This book was both beautiful and haunting. I recommend it!

Okay, I guess I'm alone. I found this overwrought, trite, and stereotypical. Almost everything discussed-- from the running of the treatment center to the insurance to the talk of the Olympics-- was so clearly written by someone who didn't understand how any of it works. Honestly, I couldn't get past the inaccuracies to the writing, so I'm not sure what to say about that. THANKS TO NETGALLEY FOR THE ADVANCE READERS COPY.

An interesting book about a dancers fight with aneorexia and her will to live. To live for her husband, father, sister and more importantly herself. This book was a hard one for me to get through. The story was interesting and highlighted how a disease like this takes a toll not only on the person, but also those that surround them. However, the lack of quotation marks and the jumping from past to present without any indicators made it challenging to follow.

Anna was just eighty-eight pounds when her husband, Mathias, dropped her off at 17 Swann Street. After leaving her family behind in Paris to follow her husband to St. Louis, Anna dealt with the loneliness by slowly restricting her diet. Soon she was only eating popcorn and fruit. And her dancer's body was starting to waste away. Finally, Mathias takes a look at Anna and realizes that if he doesn't take immediate action, he will lose Anna forever. Anna is terrified and exhausted and the thought of putting on weight is more than she can handle. Her days at 17 Swann Street starts in the wee hours of the morning with the staff taking her vitals and her weight. She has to eat three meals a day, as well as three snacks. And if she refuses three times in a row, they give her a feeding tube. A feeding tube. The girls at 17 Swann Street are just like Anna. They all struggle with their own food-based demons, but they support each other. With both spoken and written words. They don't leave the table until they are all ready to leave the table. When one hurts, they all hurt. When one celebrates, they all celebrate. Will Anna ever get to celebrate getting her life back? Or will anorexia take everything from her?


The Girls at 17 Swann Street is an achingly beautiful debut novel about a young woman battling anorexia. And make no mistake about it, it is a battle. With every piece of food put in front of her, Anna has to make a conscious decision to eat. Anna has something that most of the other girls in the house do not have, a loving husband that is by her side every step of the way. Even when Anna makes it difficult for him. I loved their relationship. I loved his devotion. I loved how he sought out a special somebody to attend "Family Day." Anorexia is such a lonely disease. It doesn't get much attention in the media. Not since the 80's "After School Special" that I can remember, yet it is very much a battle that gets waged daily by thousands and thousands of women. And men. The author was almost lyrical in her descriptions of Anna's battle. There was one particular moment that stands out when Anna and Mathias went out for dinner. Anna has to wage an internal battle to not restrict her food when ordering. She told her nutritionist what she was going to order and she had to fight to keep that promise. The way the author described that battle was probably some of the best-written literature that I have ever read. Unfortunately, not every girl at 17 Swann Street had a happy ending, but that only made the story seem that much more real.

Bottom Line - The Girls at 17 Swann Street is a beautiful novel about an ugly subject. There are many uncomfortable moments in the book, but Anna and Mathias are characters that you can support and cheer for enthusiastically. Add this one to the Book Club list, you are going to want to discuss it with your girls.

Details:
The Girls at 17 Swann Street by Yara Zgheib
On Instagram
Pages: 384
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: 2/5/19
Buy It Here!

When I first started this book I didn't think I was going to like it . It started a little slow for me but the more I read the better it got and I ended up loving the book. It was a great read! It's hard to imagine that people will starve themselves. I tend to go the other way. This book kind of gives you the opportunity to see their point of view. I want to thank netgalley for the opportunity to read this informative book for a honest review.

This is a gripping novel of girl's suffering from anorexia. It gave me a whole new perspective on what the disease is and the pain that it causes.. The book pulls you into the lives of these young girl's and all the trials they go through Some girls recover but unfortunately some do not.. It was both informative and sad. I enjoyed reading it and recommend it.

This was a very powerful debut; I look forward to more from Zgheib. This book is wonderful and haunting. The author paints a very realistic picture of the struggles with eating disorders. I could not put this down. My heart went out to the characters and they will stick with me for a long time. I really enjoyed the writing style as well. I would definitely recommend!
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

A compulsive read. I started reading this book last night. I read early this morning. I read when I went the gym and I read this afternoon until I finished it. I could not put it down, in spite of the fact that it’s an emotionally difficult book to read. I was taken to a place I have no understanding of, not just at 17 Swann St., but I don’t know what it’s like to be anorexic and I’ve never personally known anyone who was. I was fully immersed into Anna Roux’s life. The narrative alternates between Anna’s present in the residential recovery program at 17 Swann St., to her past just before and then earlier when she meets and falls in love with her husband, to her childhood, then to the stark clinical description of her condition in her Treatment Plan notes, to her sessions with her psychiatrist and most poignant of all her thoughts.

Anna’s a ballet dancer, well she used to be. Em was a gymnast, well she used to be. Valerie, her first friend there was “an A student”, “an Ivy League grad”. This could happen to anyone. Friendships and bonds develop because they care about each other, understand each other and know the pain of putting the food in their mouths and swallowing it. Anna sees that other girls’ circumstances are the same as hers in many ways, but she’s lucky as one of the girls tells her, because she has someone to do this for, her husband Matthias who visits every evening at visiting hours when others have no one. I won’t rehash what happens at 17 Swann St. because I really recommend you find out for yourself. Just be prepared. It might make you cry like it did me, but I’m still glad that I read this. I couldn’t stop thinking throughout that Yara Zgheib must have known this disease in order to so realistically convey how horrible it is and to make me understand in a way I could not possibly have understood. Then I read this article, which is moving and heartfelt, and personal and it made this beautifully written book all the more meaningful. https://bookpage.com/behind-the-book/23648-from-diary-to-debut-fiction#.XGMq4RZOnYU

I received an advanced copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley.

What triggers an eating disorder? In Anna Roux, a French ballerina, it seemed to be a causal comment about losing a few pounds from her dance master, a man she desperately wanted to please and thought she loved until she learned he was married to a lovely, and much thinner, young woman. After Anna injures herself, she cannot work out, but worse, perhaps her career as a dancer is over.

She is fortunate to meet the love of her life, a physicist, and together they move to St Louis so that he can accept a job promotion. But he has to work long hours and Anna is lonely--no job, no friends. The one thing she can control in her life is what goes into her body. Soon she is existing on apples and microwave popcorn alone and it becomes painfully obvious that she has a problem.

She agrees to be checked into a private clinic for girls with eating disorders. It is her last chance to regain a normal life with the man she loves. At 17 Swann Street, she meets several other young ladies with their own heartbreaking stories to tell. The eating schedule is programmed to help gain back the weight but the worst struggle is psychological.

This story was so well written. It's a fascinating inside look at how this and other eating disorders control the mind of the victim.

I received an arc of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for my honest review. I can highly recommend it.

I wasn't sure how this book would play out. A book about girls living together in treatment for anorexia and other eating disorders. It could have been depressing and hard to read, instead, I found a cast of characters that were tough yet supportive of each other. I kind of kept waiting for the other shoe to fall and the mean girls would come out, but instead it was a group of people all just trying to get through their days and overcome the huge metal challenges that eating disorders present.

At the beginning of the novel, Anna and her husband, Matthias, realize that she has gone too far in her disease and she must get help or she will die. So, Anna moves in to 17 Swann Street where she will get help for her eating disorder. She will be told what to eat and how much, there will be six meals a day and there are no excuses. There are ups and downs and it is never easy, but with the support of Matthias (and what an amazing man he is!) and the other people at Swann Street, there is a chance of recovery.

I am not sure how realistic this story is but it does present what I believe is a true to life look at the mind set of people living with anorexia and how hard it is to overcome those thoughts. My only ding on the book is that the author uses italics instead of quotation marks which I am never a fan of (why not just use the quotation marks???) but she also uses italics for flashbacks and at times it was hard to follow who was speaking or was it a flashback. Overall, thought, I would definitely recommend this book.

This is a powerful read about a woman named Anna who weighs 88 lbs when she checks in the Swann Street House along with others who have eating disorders too. I thought this would be a grim read but it made me keep reading until the end. It is a quiet absorbing page turner that shows the raw courage of people who find the strength to support those around them even though they are struggling themselves. This is my first book from Yara Zgheib but it definitely won't be the last! I recommend this book to others who want to read a nuanced novel about anorexia.