The Girls at 17 Swann Street
by Yara Zgheib
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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 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 show 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. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
Anna Roux, 26, was a professional dancer in Paris until her husband Matthias got a job in St. Louis. They have been married for three years and are madly in love. Life seems so perfect except for meal times. Anna, like many professional dancers, has had hammered into her head that she needs to lose weight. Each day is a battle with food. Now in an unfamiliar country, the inability to get a job as a dancer, and the low body image she spirals out of control. When Anna passes out on the bathroom floor because of abusing her body, Matthias insists she gets help. Thus, he takes her to 17 Swann Street where she meets other pale, fragile women who give each other the determination to beat their inner demons and to survive.
Yara Zgheib show more masterfully gets inside the head of Anna as she is now forced to eat six meals a day. Through flashbacks of Anna’s life we are witness to her gradual descent into an eating disorder. Anna knows she has much in her life that is worth getting better for, but is she strong enough to win out over the anorexia that calls to her every minute of every day?
THE GIRLS AT 17 SWANN STREET is a very gut-wrenching, captivating look at eating disorders and the devastation they wreak in the lives of their victims and their loved ones. It is a novel of despair, bravery, strength, and ultimately love. The writing is exquisite, tender, raw.
For anyone who has known someone with an eating disorder or someone who has loved someone with an eating disorder, this book is a must-read. show less
Yara Zgheib show more masterfully gets inside the head of Anna as she is now forced to eat six meals a day. Through flashbacks of Anna’s life we are witness to her gradual descent into an eating disorder. Anna knows she has much in her life that is worth getting better for, but is she strong enough to win out over the anorexia that calls to her every minute of every day?
THE GIRLS AT 17 SWANN STREET is a very gut-wrenching, captivating look at eating disorders and the devastation they wreak in the lives of their victims and their loved ones. It is a novel of despair, bravery, strength, and ultimately love. The writing is exquisite, tender, raw.
For anyone who has known someone with an eating disorder or someone who has loved someone with an eating disorder, this book is a must-read. show less
Amazing portrayal of inpatient treatment of anorexia and other eating disorders. This was painful to read at times, hopeful, and so sensitively rendered. Anna, formerly a ballerina in Paris, moves with her husband to Missouri. But slowly over the course of several years, her eating disorder begins to take over her life and she is admitted to 17 Swann Street, where she confronts the anxieties she’s developed around food. This almost reads a little like a memoir as we slowly learn Anna’s past, learn more about the other girls there, and watch her treatment unfold. Really well written.
Trigger Warnings: eating disorders, suicide
Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.
Trigger Warnings:
Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.
I fell hard in love with this book and the writing style. The emotional connection I felt towards Anna was instant. There was no judgement towards her; just sorrow, encouragement, and joy. This is what I liked the most is that everyone from the staff to Anna's husband, Matthias, as well as the other girls were all so supportive of each other.
Everything that Anna went through was as if I was in her shoes. When she had a set back; I had a set back and when she ate some food; I savored every morsel. While, I have never experienced an eating disorder; this book provided a real insightful look into someone's journey to recovery. Although, the sad part is that no one really ever fully recovers like any other addiction. This book is not to be show more missed. The Girls at 17 Swann Street will tug at your heart strings and stay with you long after the last page has been read! show less
Everything that Anna went through was as if I was in her shoes. When she had a set back; I had a set back and when she ate some food; I savored every morsel. While, I have never experienced an eating disorder; this book provided a real insightful look into someone's journey to recovery. Although, the sad part is that no one really ever fully recovers like any other addiction. This book is not to be show more missed. The Girls at 17 Swann Street will tug at your heart strings and stay with you long after the last page has been read! show less
An impressive, moving debut…
In his moving debut, Yara Zgheib expertly narrates the haunting struggle of 26-year-old former dancer, Anna Roux who after following Mathias, the man of her dreams, from Paris to St. Louis, Missouri rapidly spirals down a path of severe anorexia and depression. Concerned, her husband sends her to 17 Swann Street, a residential treatment facility where she warms to Ivy League grad Valerie and former Olympian Emm. As their bond strengthens, Anna sees herself in Valerie and Emm and realizes how much she has to live for. The book is exhausting to read at times, but it has all the elements of an engrossing read: intense, intoxicating, full of drama, love, and hope., Anna’s pessimistic mind-set makes her an show more annoying narrator, but this very quality of Anna’s makes her more real to the average reader; to the non-sufferer who has never struggled with the eating disorder, Anna’s reasoning is distorting but anyone even with a slight tendency toward anorexia could relate fully to her suffering. The author doesn’t stereotype the illness just to shock the reader, and that’s the best thing about the book. A glimpse into Anna's own thought process along with the treatment facility’s clinical assessments and the third person flashbacks provide a balance to the narrative. Anna’s outbursts are realistically depicted, and the journey of her recovery fills the reader with hope. The secondary characters in the book hardly get any space, but Zgheib has written compelling, realistic characters. Though the ending is abrupt and neat (and not happy), it’s full of hope. Zgheib seamlessly leads the reader through an unpredictable maze of characters’ struggles with depression, anorexia, love, and understanding. show less
In his moving debut, Yara Zgheib expertly narrates the haunting struggle of 26-year-old former dancer, Anna Roux who after following Mathias, the man of her dreams, from Paris to St. Louis, Missouri rapidly spirals down a path of severe anorexia and depression. Concerned, her husband sends her to 17 Swann Street, a residential treatment facility where she warms to Ivy League grad Valerie and former Olympian Emm. As their bond strengthens, Anna sees herself in Valerie and Emm and realizes how much she has to live for. The book is exhausting to read at times, but it has all the elements of an engrossing read: intense, intoxicating, full of drama, love, and hope., Anna’s pessimistic mind-set makes her an show more annoying narrator, but this very quality of Anna’s makes her more real to the average reader; to the non-sufferer who has never struggled with the eating disorder, Anna’s reasoning is distorting but anyone even with a slight tendency toward anorexia could relate fully to her suffering. The author doesn’t stereotype the illness just to shock the reader, and that’s the best thing about the book. A glimpse into Anna's own thought process along with the treatment facility’s clinical assessments and the third person flashbacks provide a balance to the narrative. Anna’s outbursts are realistically depicted, and the journey of her recovery fills the reader with hope. The secondary characters in the book hardly get any space, but Zgheib has written compelling, realistic characters. Though the ending is abrupt and neat (and not happy), it’s full of hope. Zgheib seamlessly leads the reader through an unpredictable maze of characters’ struggles with depression, anorexia, love, and understanding. show less
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
THE GIRLS OF 17 SWANN STREET is a poignant and haunting story of a girl who is battling anorexia only because those around her want her to “get better”. Her demons and self-loathing have caused her to deny herself foods that she used to love. Her marriage is slipping away, full of unspoken words as Anna becomes thinner and thinner. Finally, her husband brings her to 17 Swann Street, where she will undergo treatment.
The author’s way of demonstrating the character’s struggle is intense – the reader is thrown into Anna’s mind through internal rumination and flashbacks, which serve to illuminate the deepest thoughts of an anorexic. Anna is not sure if she wants to live or die, even as those show more around her suffer with the same affliction and vanish. Throughout the course of the story Anna’s fate remains uncertain, as she takes one step forward and two steps back. Her struggle to consume enough calories under the watchful eyes of the clinic staff (who go un-named in an effort to dehumanize them, an excellent tactic by the author) is laid bare as she is shamed publicly for hiding a small bit of cream cheese in her napkin and then throwing it out.
As I read I wondered when Anna was just going to give up – her character is severely depressed and tragic. She does everything in her power to drive her husband away, despite his constant visits. She battles the staff over each mouthful of food she is forced to eat. In fact, she is such a morose person that at times I wished she would make a choice, rather than simply give up. However, it sounds like the author either did excellent research or she has personal experience with the disorder, because Anna’s behavior is exactly what you would expect from someone with depression and concurrent anorexia.
The book is an easy read – I got through it in one day because I was driven to know what would happen to Anna. As I mentioned before, at times I wasn’t sure if I was on her side or not. It was heartbreaking to see her shunning her husband, who clearly adored her. It was frustrating to see her work really hard, then seemingly change her mind and give in to her old habits. Self-care is not easy when you hate yourself, and Anna’s character is proof that the mind can be an evil, overpowering entity that robs one of the ability to control their life. I felt the cold fingers of depression reaching for me once I finished the book – it’s so real that it gets into your own head and makes you wonder if you are ok, if you will be ok. show less
THE GIRLS OF 17 SWANN STREET is a poignant and haunting story of a girl who is battling anorexia only because those around her want her to “get better”. Her demons and self-loathing have caused her to deny herself foods that she used to love. Her marriage is slipping away, full of unspoken words as Anna becomes thinner and thinner. Finally, her husband brings her to 17 Swann Street, where she will undergo treatment.
The author’s way of demonstrating the character’s struggle is intense – the reader is thrown into Anna’s mind through internal rumination and flashbacks, which serve to illuminate the deepest thoughts of an anorexic. Anna is not sure if she wants to live or die, even as those show more around her suffer with the same affliction and vanish. Throughout the course of the story Anna’s fate remains uncertain, as she takes one step forward and two steps back. Her struggle to consume enough calories under the watchful eyes of the clinic staff (who go un-named in an effort to dehumanize them, an excellent tactic by the author) is laid bare as she is shamed publicly for hiding a small bit of cream cheese in her napkin and then throwing it out.
As I read I wondered when Anna was just going to give up – her character is severely depressed and tragic. She does everything in her power to drive her husband away, despite his constant visits. She battles the staff over each mouthful of food she is forced to eat. In fact, she is such a morose person that at times I wished she would make a choice, rather than simply give up. However, it sounds like the author either did excellent research or she has personal experience with the disorder, because Anna’s behavior is exactly what you would expect from someone with depression and concurrent anorexia.
The book is an easy read – I got through it in one day because I was driven to know what would happen to Anna. As I mentioned before, at times I wasn’t sure if I was on her side or not. It was heartbreaking to see her shunning her husband, who clearly adored her. It was frustrating to see her work really hard, then seemingly change her mind and give in to her old habits. Self-care is not easy when you hate yourself, and Anna’s character is proof that the mind can be an evil, overpowering entity that robs one of the ability to control their life. I felt the cold fingers of depression reaching for me once I finished the book – it’s so real that it gets into your own head and makes you wonder if you are ok, if you will be ok. show less
“How little of an eating disorder the naked eye can actually see.” Bravo to Zgheib’s courage in writing this difficult but necessary book, which you need to read. The self image issues that all young women (and men) face are front and center at Swann Street, and this will make you think about everything you’ve ever said to yourself or another regarding their bodies and self worth.
This is a hard one, especially for anyone who has or knows someone who has an eating disorder, however, it is a humane and personal glimpse into an utterly insane disease. Looking at the life of Anna, both before, leading into and at treatment, is an eye opener and a heart breaker. I was in physical and emotional pain while reading this, yet couldn’t show more put it down. The depth in which Zgheib digs into describing and explaining this disease is commendable, as not everyone understands just what goes on within the minds of those suffering. “Keep walking... no feeling is ever final...there are always signs for those who know to look for them...keep walking.” Thank you for your wise words and for Anna and the Girls at 17 Swann Street’s stories.
*I received an arc from the publisher through NetGalley for an honest review show less
This is a hard one, especially for anyone who has or knows someone who has an eating disorder, however, it is a humane and personal glimpse into an utterly insane disease. Looking at the life of Anna, both before, leading into and at treatment, is an eye opener and a heart breaker. I was in physical and emotional pain while reading this, yet couldn’t show more put it down. The depth in which Zgheib digs into describing and explaining this disease is commendable, as not everyone understands just what goes on within the minds of those suffering. “Keep walking... no feeling is ever final...there are always signs for those who know to look for them...keep walking.” Thank you for your wise words and for Anna and the Girls at 17 Swann Street’s stories.
*I received an arc from the publisher through NetGalley for an honest review show less
An impressive, moving debut…
In his moving debut, Yara Zgheib expertly narrates the haunting struggle of 26-year-old former dancer, Anna Roux who after following Mathias, the man of her dreams, from Paris to St. Louis, Missouri rapidly spirals down a path of severe anorexia and depression. Concerned, her husband sends her to 17 Swann Street, a residential treatment facility where she warms to Ivy League grad Valerie and former Olympian Emm. As their bond strengthens, Anna sees herself in Valerie and Emm and realizes how much she has to live for. The book is exhausting to read at times, but it has all the elements of an engrossing read: intense, intoxicating, full of drama, love, and hope., Anna’s pessimistic mind-set makes her an show more annoying narrator, but this very quality of Anna’s makes her more real to the average reader; to the non-sufferer who has never struggled with the eating disorder, Anna’s reasoning is distorting but anyone even with a slight tendency toward anorexia could relate fully to her suffering. The author doesn’t stereotype the illness just to shock the reader, and that’s the best thing about the book. A glimpse into Anna's own thought process along with the treatment facility’s clinical assessments and the third person flashbacks provide a balance to the narrative. Anna’s outbursts are realistically depicted, and the journey of her recovery fills the reader with hope. The secondary characters in the book hardly get any space, but Zgheib has written compelling, realistic characters. Though the ending is abrupt and neat (and not happy), it’s full of hope. Zgheib seamlessly leads the reader through an unpredictable maze of characters’ struggles with depression, anorexia, love, and understanding. show less
In his moving debut, Yara Zgheib expertly narrates the haunting struggle of 26-year-old former dancer, Anna Roux who after following Mathias, the man of her dreams, from Paris to St. Louis, Missouri rapidly spirals down a path of severe anorexia and depression. Concerned, her husband sends her to 17 Swann Street, a residential treatment facility where she warms to Ivy League grad Valerie and former Olympian Emm. As their bond strengthens, Anna sees herself in Valerie and Emm and realizes how much she has to live for. The book is exhausting to read at times, but it has all the elements of an engrossing read: intense, intoxicating, full of drama, love, and hope., Anna’s pessimistic mind-set makes her an show more annoying narrator, but this very quality of Anna’s makes her more real to the average reader; to the non-sufferer who has never struggled with the eating disorder, Anna’s reasoning is distorting but anyone even with a slight tendency toward anorexia could relate fully to her suffering. The author doesn’t stereotype the illness just to shock the reader, and that’s the best thing about the book. A glimpse into Anna's own thought process along with the treatment facility’s clinical assessments and the third person flashbacks provide a balance to the narrative. Anna’s outbursts are realistically depicted, and the journey of her recovery fills the reader with hope. The secondary characters in the book hardly get any space, but Zgheib has written compelling, realistic characters. Though the ending is abrupt and neat (and not happy), it’s full of hope. Zgheib seamlessly leads the reader through an unpredictable maze of characters’ struggles with depression, anorexia, love, and understanding. show less
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- The Girls at 17 Swann Street
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- 2019
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