The Girls at 17 Swann Street gives the reader an intimate, unflinching look at eating disorders and the suffering they cause to not only the person with the disorder, but all those who love them as well.

Anna Roux, 26, is admitted to 17 Swann Street, an intensive intervention facility for those with eating disorders by her husband Matthias who fears losing her forever to anorexia, an insidious, overwhelming disorder.

An eye-opening, educational, and important read, Zgheib’s wonderful characters and flowing writing style drew me in immediately and captivated me from beginning to end. For anyone who knows someone suffering from one of these disorders, simply interested in learning more about them, or just in search of a great read, this book is for you!

Thank-you Yara Zgheib for writing this book, and courage to all those fighting one of these disorders every minute of every day. My prayers are with you!

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

This was book was eye-opening and terrifying in the right way! The Girls at 17 Swann Street, is a fictional story told through the eyes of a woman living at a treatment home for patients with eating disorders. Our MC, Anna, is diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa. In this book and through Anna's eyes, we see the rollercoaster that is the treatment of Anorexia and the toll it takes not only on the person, but their relationships, family, friends as well as fellow patients. A gripping and emotional read that will hit the heartstrings like a sledge-hammer. I highly recommend this story for your next adult fiction read.

Thank you Netgalley for The Girls at 17 Swann Street. I went into the book not knowing much about the story line, but was quickly drawn in. I have not personally know anyone who has suffered from an eating disorder, but reading this book really made me more sympathetic to women who do suffer, and suffer alone sometimes.
Anna Roux is a professional dancer who certainly feels the pressure to be thin and perfect. She wants to be the best in hopes that she can one day land a soloist spot. So many dancers to compete with she believes if she can eat less and exercise more, she’ll get noticed. Anna leaves behind her home in Paris to move to Missouri, and you think she could start over and leave her insecurities behind, but not having her dance and her friends and family only make matters worse. She moved for the love of her life, and she tries as hard as she can to hide her eating disorder from him. No matter how hard she tries to hide what’s going on, she simply cannot. Weighing in at 80 pounds, so frail and vulnerable it’s obvious to everyone but Anna that this is a dangerous situation. In order to save her relationship and stay alive, Anna is forced to go to treatment. She must live a very structured life with all eyes on her. Nothing she does is done alone. She is watched when she eats, sleeps, uses the restroom. All of this is documented so that the staff can make sure she’s thriving. Anna is surrounded by women who are battling her same disease and some that are suffering from other types. She is very guarded in the beginning but quickly realizes everyone here is alone and suffering. Every bite of food is a battle, but she is willing to do what it takes to get better and get back to her life before 17 Swann Street.

This was a slow moving novel about girls with eating disorders. The novel suffered too much from telling rather than showing. Still, I recommend this for those who are obsessed with diet and nutrition.

Anna has had several changes in her life. She was injured and could not dance. As a matter of fact, she lost her place in the dance company. Then her husband received a job offer in St. Louis which he could not turn down. So, they moved from her beloved home in Paris and away from her family. Anna goes into a deep depression. She basically quits eating almost all of the foods she loves. She ends up weighing 88 pounds.

Anna is admitted to 17 Swann Street, a home for women with eating disorders. This is extremely difficult for Anna to adjust. The rules and the treatment are a little more than she can tolerate. But with the support of her husband and all the girls of 17 Swann Street she SLOWLY starts on the road to recovery.

The way Anna’s relationship with food changes her life is really astounding. I have been around anorexics but I have never really discussed their thoughts. Anna’s anxiety about food is above and beyond. After she spent a little time at 17 Swann Street she is allowed to go out to eat with her husband. Her approach to her dinner that night really opened my eyes to how this disease works.

I know this book is not going to work for everyone. It is traumatic in places and it is hard to read because of the subject matter. Not only is it well written and well researched, it is also an emotional ride. You do not want to miss this.

I received this novel from St. Martin’s Press for a honest review.

One of the best novels about anorexia I’ve ever read, this book is moving and heartfelt, and sure to be one of the year’s top book club reads.

This was not at all what I expected. I came in expecting a book about a ballerina struggling to make soloist—think Center Stage. But got a book about a former dancer desperately struggling with a life-threateningly serious eating disorder. The book was poignant and sad, and threaded through with a narrative about the power of female friendship. I was completely hooked, despite it not being what I thought and tore through it in 2 days.

27

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The Girls at 17 Swann Street

by 

Yara Zgheib

 4.07  ·   Rating details ·  1,502 ratings  ·  833 reviews

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.

Anna Roux was a professional dan ...more

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Hardcover, 384 pages

Published February 5th 2019 by St. Martin's Press

ISBN

1250202442 (ISBN13: 9781250202444)

Edition Language

English

Other Editions (7)

 

 Wow, what a powerful and though provoking book about the addiction of eating disorders. First off I would like to thank NetGalley for gifting me a free copy of this book to read and review. All thoughts are my own and I have tried to express myself completely without giving the book away. As someone who does not have any type of addiction I have often thought that I would probably suffer from over - eating. I do not say that to belittle anyone who suffers from addictions, rather to say that there but for the grace go any of us. This is the story of Anna, Emm, Valerie and the other girls who reside at a treatment facility for eating disorders. Who for lack of their own power of control are controlled in a very strict manner to help them over come and return to a more productive life. We get a glimpse of their inner struggles and the inability of some to see the other side. I really enjoyed this book and this out from first time author Yara Zgheib. Without going into her background (of which I know nothing), we the readers get a sense of what these people battle and the affect it has on their families. It was nice to see that Anna had people who loved her and where there to see her get better. The ending gives us hope that she will be able to fight her demons and live to see her hopes of family and love fulfilled. A must read for anyone who cannot understand how their actions may negatively affect others.

3 stars
My rating scale:
5☆ - I loved this book and it brought out true emotion in me (laughter, anger, a good cry, etc)
4☆ - I loved this book.
3☆ - I liked this book.
2☆ - I didn't really care for this book.
1☆ - I did not like this book at all and probably did not finish it.

3.5 STARS!!

This was a very intense, and emotional read. I wasn't expecting to be so deeply affected by it, but I don't regreat coming accross this book and the new to me author.

The story is about real life problems, the struggles, courage and strenght to over come them along side with our loved ones. I'm sorry, I rather don't give more away than what the previous reviews have reveal, but if you're into a life's learning lesson type of story, I suggest you give it a try and judge for yourself.

I received an ARC from the Publisher via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review!

Anna is a French former ballerina from Paris who moved to St. Louis, MO following her husband's career opportunity, but she is not very happy about the changes around her. Anna has advanced damage from Anorexia Nervosa. After collapsing in her bathroom, her husband Matthias confronts her and she seeks treatment at 17 Swann Street.

The book presents a realistic depiction of the struggles and challenges of those with eating disorders, and the daily routines they face at inpatient facilities designed to help them recover. I requested this ARC because I work closely with many clients who have an eating disorder, and I'm always on the lookout of fiction books that may help them identify themselves with the characters and find hope. Why fiction? I recommend plenty of non-fiction books as well. Yet, I keep finding my clients connecting with fictional characters easier than with books piled up with research. In this aspect, this book is very well executed. As I read the treatment plan reports, they almost looked like my own reports.

I would have liked to know more about Anna's true underlying issues though. I felt as we got good glimpses at the overall picture, but not enough detail or catharsis in her storyline. Being a ballerina in the past is such an important part of her life, and I would have liked to know more about it, or for her to use it in her recovery as a strength. I felt the end was positive, yet premature. I liked the idea of using her marriage and family as motivators for her recovery, but I am greedy, and I would have also liked for Anna to gain insight on the need to recover for herself. I felt it could have had a bit more work in the editing phase as well. Some parts felt incomplete or choppy.

Overall, this is a good book. Some passages may not be pleasant to read due to the realistic descriptions of the main subject, and perhaps some folks may be triggered by the struggles of some of these girls, or Anna herself. Will I mention this book to other folks in recovery from an ED or family members trying to understand what goes in the mind of someone with an ED? Probably to some. I can see the value of this story even when it wasn't 100% perfect.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this title in exchange for an honest review.

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

Through Anna’s memories and thoughts and experiences at the 17 Swann Street house, we follow her journey through anorexia and recovery; it was undeniably eye-opening to follow Anna’s story.
Yara Zgheib lets us see the struggle of fighting anorexia in all of it’s heart-wrenching, raw glory: breaking it down day-by-day, showing Anna’s good days and bad days. She points out how every single minute in the day is a battle and what one must do to fight.
This book takes you through all the emotions: anger, sadness, loss, frustration, hopefulness, happiness, love, anxiety, etc...it’s a heart wrenching experience.
17 Swann Street gave us an insightful look at treatments: the forced high caloric intake meals, feeding tubes and limited access to bathrooms and I felt so much for these women who were battling to save their lives. The anxiety over something as seemingly innocuous as sitting in front of a bagel and cream cheese for breakfast was palpable, the beautiful writing a perfect tool for delivering such intense moments.
Another wonderful aspect of this book was the love between Anna and her husband Mathias and the support both he and her father desperately provided, it was incredible reading about how much they believed and supported Anna through her recovery. With them championing her healing, Anna was able to become vulnerable enough to make strides toward recovery....so beautiful.
And I won’t forget to mention the support the women in the rehab house provided to each other: solidarity, understanding and encouragement are crucial to any recovery and these women were there for each other no matter how strong their personal demons felt that day, each of them understood what the others were going through and wouldn’t give up without a fight.
This is definitely an emotional read. Your emotions will be all over the place and your heart will be cut open but in the end you’ll be glad to have witnessed this beautiful story of the girls at 17 Swann Street.

This book was amazingly brilliant. The author really captured what it is like to hate your body and struggle with an eating disorder. Some of us eat way too much and some way too little. I found this book to be extremely relatable, even though it was about an anorexic girl and I struggle with overeating. Definitely one that I recommend!

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 ***