*A BookMovement Group Read* **A People Pick for Best New Books** Yara Zgheib’s poetic and poignant debut novel is a haunting portrait of a young woman’s struggle with anorexia on an intimate journey to reclaim her life. 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 … 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 dancer who followed the man of her dreams from Paris to Missouri. There, alone with her biggest fears – imperfection, failure, loneliness – she spirals down anorexia and depression till she weighs a mere eighty-eight 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. Women like Emm, the veteran; quiet Valerie; Julia, always hungry. Together, they must fight their diseases and face six meals a day.
Every bite causes anxiety. Every flavor induces guilt. And every step Anna takes toward recovery will require strength, endurance, and the support of the girls at 17 Swann Street.
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This is a great book about a sad subject. It was a page turner for sure. I learned a lot from this book and glad that at the end of the book, she was still fighting. Thanks for a great story!
Rather than gently lead you through Anna’s descent into anorexia and eventual treatment, the book immediately thrusts the reader into the result of it: the drastic weight loss has already happened, and Anna is a resident of 17 Swann Street. Frequently given, oftentimes non-linear, flashbacks help the reader discover how she came to be there. Sometimes the lack of consistent chronology annoys me, but it worked well in this book, however. I appreciated the way it caused Anna’s backstory to slowly reveal itself, and how those revelations often changed my perception of Anna.
This is, without a doubt, the most heart-wrenching book I have read (so far) this year. Anna broke my heart over and over again. Seeing her fears about food, the way she rationalized eating one thing versus another (or not eating something at all), gave me just the teeny-tiniest bit of understanding of how devastating this eating disorder can be for someone who has it.
This novel continuously made me feel as if I were reading about an actual person, rather than a fictional character. I know this was a novel, and yet… I can’t let go of Anna. It’s not unusual for me to become attached to characters, but I worried over her for so long that I’m finding it difficult to stop doing so just because I’ve finished reading the book. Is she okay? Did she relapse? What about the other women at 17 Swann Street? Fictional characters or not, my heart wants them all to be okay.
Do give this beautiful novel a try… and I think you’ll easily understand why I’m finding it so hard to let go of Anna Roux.
I received an advance reading copy of this book courtesy of St. Martin’s Press via Netgalley.
Thanks to Book Movement and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of The Girls at 17 Swann Street in exchange for an honest review.
I absolutely loved this book! I loved the writing style, the heartbreaking account of living with anorexia, the toll it takes on everyone, the treatment of it, and the ongoing struggle. This book really hit home with me, as someone dear to me suffers from an eating disorder. This novel opened my eyes to the emotions, the difficulties, and the impact this disease has on its victim and their loved ones.
I flew through the book – the writing style is very easy to read. While the subject is difficult, I believe it was handled beautifully, and I was hopeful for Anna and Matthias.
I highly recommend this novel!
#TheGirlsAt17SwannStreet #YaraZgheib #SwannStreetBookClub #17SwannStreet
Honestly, I couldn’t quite put it down. Once I got use to the style, which is sort of a cross between letters and conversations to ones self, I was all in…unfortunately unlike some of the girls. It’s Fiction, but really hits home for so many and, in my humble opinion, does a good job with such a hot button topic. It allows readers a chance to see how this disease affects everyone it touches…not just the person suffering from it, but EVERY SINGLE PERSON they come into contact with. Whether it be their loved ones who care so much, but simply can’t understand why they won’t just eat…or their best friends with whom they’ve shared everything and yet can’t find a why to share this burden…or the waitress who can’t fathom why the person placing an order is taking everything down to the lowest common caloric intake possible…or the coworker that watches them waste away to next to nothing, yet all along thought they were perfectly perfect and strove to be like them…it’s an invisible killer (to some degree), but it is just as deadly as a person with a knife.
All in all, a deceivingly amazing read behind a curiously titled work that could easily fly beneath your reading radar…word of advice? DON’T LET IT.
**ARC received for review; opinions are my own
This book takes a look at the lives of girls with eating disorders, especially anorexia, living at 17 Swann Street. You get a bit of a look at their mindset as they go through their days of just trying to survive and live. Your heart will be broken along with them, and you will smile as there is a personal achievement.
This is a very quick, easy book to read.
I loved this book! Well.written story with well developed characters, it gives us a view into what someone with anorexia goes through. I look forward to reading more by this author.
I received this book in a giveaway from the publisher. Wow, what a heartbreaking yet realistic read about a topic that so many people in our society face daily. The story was well written, and I felt almost like I was suffering along with the ladies in the house. I wasnt sure what to expect from this book, and I was pleasantly surprise at the depth of feeling the author was able to pull from me. I would certainly recommend this book to anyone, and especially to those that either suffer from the disease or know someone that does.
4 My Emotions Are All Over the Place Stars!!!
This book is a complete mental, emotional and physical journey for both me as the reader and Anna as our heroine. Anna is a ballerina and has suffered from anorexia nervosa for years and is getting help with this debilitating disease within the peach walls of 17 Swann Street. This is a place where several women are trying to overcome their struggle with food and body image.
Ms. Zgheib does an amazing job telling a story that screams accuracy while we delve into Anna’s story, as this book is all from her POV. It’s very clear to me that so much research went into this book and as a person that has had a friend fight this same battle, I was highly invested in Anna and her battle.
Anna wants to get back to the woman that used to eat and love life for the simple pleasures and not the demands of what being a prima ballerina requires of her and her body. She’s in love with her husband but that relationship is jeopardy as well. As we move through this book, we see Anna’s past in little vignettes which brings a clear picture of how she came to where she is today.
This book is not for the faint of heart because there will be emotions that you’re not expecting to be feeling from angry to hurt to sadness. There are so many things I loved about this book and I’m so glad I took the chance even though I knew I’d probably cry. This is an outstanding debut novel for this very talented author and I’m looking forward to reading her future books!
This book was powerful and at times emotional. The author did a great job creating multi-dimensional characters. Learning the triggers that led each of the women to 17 Swann Street made each character relatable. A reader could see how easily trying to be healthy could change into a serious concern. I loved that the author showed how the other loved ones were affected by the womens illness.
This book has such a sad realness to it. It opened my eyes to eating disorders and how it effects the person and their families. It is one I recommend.
I so loved The Girls at 17 Swann Street that I’ve been putting off reviewing it. Why? Because while I’ve recommended it to a lot of people, I’m afraid my review will in no way convey how heart wrenching and haunting this book is.
I’ve read other things about anorexia, but none have hit me as this book did. There was just something about the relationship between Anna and her husband and also between the girls in the home that stripped away everything that was extraneous. We were shown the deep, soul crushing beast that is anorexia and how it affects everyone else in your life.
I don’t know what else to say except read this book. Be prepared to cry and at times, to cheer, but above all, know you will definitely know you’ve read what is probably as close to a first hand account as is possible.
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for approving my request for an ARC. My thoughts in this review are my own.
First, I want to thank Yara Zgheib, St. Martin Press, and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review.
Yara Zgheib brings you an extremely powerful read in Girls at 17 Swann Street dealing with a woman battling anorexia. Yara takes through Anna’s emotional, mental, and physical journey as she is diagnosed with and treated for Anorexia. This is a must read for anyone going through this, has a loved one dealing with this, or just want to educate yourself on this topic.
Girls at 17 Swann Street really fascinated me. I am a huge fan of medical fiction/nonfiction books. So, this book was up my alley. I loved how Yara let her readers experience the journey with Anna as she got help for her eating disorder. We were there for all her ups and downs along the way.
I was amazed how much research Yara did on this book. She really digged deep into this topic and brought you amazing facts on nutrition, made out a meal plan with how many calories for each meal you should have, made out a treatment plan that was in chart note form using medical terminology.
Yara brings out all the feelings and emotions that Anna is going through within this journey. Not just the clinical medical side of it. A lot of this is mental too. You can tell that this character is close to Yara’s heart.
On a personal note this book was an eye opener for opener for me. I felt for Anna in this book. I too struggled with weight but mine was obesity. Since 2004 I have lost a total of 193lbs with the tool of Gastric Bypass Surgery, The South Beach Diet, willpower, and motivation, and changing your mindset. It has not been easy and it has been a daily struggle. However, I learned way more about myself and nutrition in the process. This book showed me the other end of the spectrum.
Heart-wrenching and beautiful… a must read.
This book is both depressing and captivating. It is 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.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
Eating disorders are tough. I think most of us have them in some way. It may not be as severe as anorexia or bulimia, but diets can be another form. This was a tough read. Anna enters a house with other women who suffer from an eating disorder. The positive is that they help and encourage each other. The negative is the scary and heartbreaking stories that cause them to not eat or to overeat. Some have support from family and some don’t. It really doesn’t seem to matter when you are in that deep, although to some It could hinder a recovery. Being in Anna’s mind was eye-opening. I wanted to cheer for her, and did. But recovery in anything has its peaks and valleys and isn’t an easy road. This book was a worthy read.
Heartbreaking, Gut-Wrenching, real… these are the words and phrases that come to mind after reading this novel. Once I started reading it, I couldn’t put it down, even though I read ninety-five percent of it with tears in my eyes. The author’s dive into Anna’s mind and struggle present a gut-wrenching look at the life of someone with an eating disorder, specifically someone who is so close to the point of no return. The portrayals were so realistic, it’s scary, and I can’t see how it could get worse for someone, but am just as sure it can. You find yourself rooting for Anna and the other girls, sharing their heartbreak, and praying that they will be stronger than the disease that has taken over their body and mind and hopeful that they can triumph, though the struggle will probably never end, even if treatment does.
This was a beautiful and stunning debut novel and I am excited to see how Zgheib follows it up.
#TheGirlsat17SwannStreet #YaraZgheib #TheGirlfriend #StMartinsPress
Wow! Prepare yourself for an emotional run with this read. Anna and her husband Matthias have moved from Paris to America. Once in America, her eating disorder forces her into treatment as an inpatient at 17 Swann Street. There we meet several other women in the same situation. This story is filled with many layers and complexities as we are taken through Anna’s life from France to America, from the backstory through to the mental health intake. It is heart breaking to watch how Anna has Matthias to support her when so many others have no one. This story does not sugar coat anything and is very intense so beware if you are not up to it.
While this is not my usual type of read, I am really glad I jumped in with both feet because once I started reading this one I could not put it down.
As a physician, I am aware of anorexia and its lasting effects on the human body and psyche, but Yara Zgheib’s debut novel put heart and soul into my physician’s view of the disease. Zgheib’s prose is lyric, at times stream-of-consciousness and fully captures the Anna’s struggle. Told in present time with flashbacks to the early days of her marriage, before anorexia really set in, readers can see the contrast in Anna-before and Anna-after. When her husband finally takes her for inpatient treatment, she weighs a mere 88 pounds and subsisted on apples and popcorn.
Anna meets several women in the treatment center on Swann Street and with their help and that of the staff—and of course, her beloved husband—Anna relearns to eat and appreciate the flavor of foods.
The emotion was taut, real, heartbreaking. This book frequently had me in tears.
The Girls at 17 Swann Street by debut author Yara Zgheib touched me personally in so many ways. As a mother of a daughter who suffers with not only other mental disorders, but also an eating disorder, I have to say this author did an amazing job depicting the anxiety and agony of living with this disorder day in and day out. How it touches and changes not only the life of the one who suffers with the disorder, but of those who love them.
This story focuses primarily on Anna Roux. A woman who followed her husband from Paris to Missouri for a work opportunity, but who somehow lost herself along the way. She did not believe she had a problem, even as she weighed only around ninety pounds. So begins her journey at 17 Swann Street.
The author, Yara Zgheib, did a remarkable job brining Anna’s journey to the readers. Through every process, decision, anxiety of this disorder. It brought me to tears many times. The story was emotional and captivating. Not only Anna, but all the girls at 17 Swann Street.
~ Liz
A riveting book.. It takes you into the world of females that are anorexic and bulimic. In 17 Swan Street. Is a group of people that are trying to save these women. It is not all sunshine and happiness. Anna was admitted there by her husband Matthias. He was trying to save her. She was his everything. I get the feeling that the statistics quoted in this book of people who survive, people who relapse and people who don’t make it are real. This just made me think of Karen Carpenter.