The Girls at 17 Swann St is an informative tale about the horrors of eating disorders. It is written with compassion and insight. Readers quickly care about the girls at 17 Swann St and hope for their recovery. the story is not sweet and all ends well; it is a truthful story of the ups and downs of the eating disorders and the daily difficulties.

Beautifully written, hard to put down. I rooted for Anna, to overcome her addiction from page 1.

An enjoyable easy-fast read. I engaged with Anna; slightly different wiring could put many of us in her circumstances. I wished the conclusion gave more insight into what was an ongoing struggle and a hope for life outside of anorexia.

A very quick read with engaging characters that provides insight into the immense struggle so many young women ( in particular) face with body image, eating disorders and the need for control. A good mother-daughter read.

I found I could not put this book down! I was drawn into the story, I felt like Anna was one of my friends. As someone who overeats, it was very interesting to hear Anna and the others stories and lives with not eating.

It was impossible to put the book down at the beginning. So many interesting twists and lives that felt similar to friends or experiences in my life. It did feel a little repetitive in the middle and ended feeling unfinished. Maybe that opens us up to a sequel, or just highlights the devastating disease that it is never really over.

I very much enjoyed the author's fresh style of writing, which made it quite fluid with the ability to read a few chapters here and there, and finished in record time for my reading habits. I am pleased it ended well, almost a little too much happy at the end, however. I would read another novel by this author; she's good.

My bookclub won advanced copies The girls at 17 Swann Street and we read it as our January club selection. #swannstreetbookclub
The Girls at 17 Swann Street begins with Anna being admitted to a treatment home that treats eating disorders. Through Anna we learn about her journey that led her to 17 Swann Street and her progress through treatment for her anorexia. The story is told entirely by Anna and through her we get to know her husband, family and the other residents of 17 Swann Street. It was a fast read that I feel is worth reading. I now have a deeper understanding of the complexities of anorexia. While the story was sad it left me with a sense of hope while rooting for the characters within.

This was so engrossing. So dismal. So revealing. So defeating. I couldn't put it down. The way Zgehib wove the chapters together lightened the information presented along the pages as she chronicled Anna, and other women's, battle with an eating disorder. The Girls at 17 Swann Street shared the inner turmoil, mental health challenges, and daily struggles of women who need to eat to survive, but are paralyzed to do what seems to most like such a normal, mundane, and mindless task. The focus on Anna and her anorexia gave a glimpse of the details of her journey and, along with the other residents' back stories and incidents, allowed the reader to better understand the varying complications, depths, and uncertainties involved in treating eating disorders. It is not simple and not easily overcome. I am very grateful to have received this ARC from St. Martin's Press and am looking forward to participating in a BookMovement group discussion later this month.

What a great book. I couldn’t put it down. As someone who has her own issues with food, it was eye opening to read about the other side of the coin. Anna was a sympathetic character and I was rooting for her from the very beginning. I am glad I got a chance to read an ARC through Book Movement!

This is a insightful book about anorexia. I never realized how difficult it is for a person to deal with that . It is read like a memoir than a novel . Very well written especially about the description of the struggle that she has with herself.

It was an interesting account of anorexia. You piece the story together through Anna's thoughts and observations. You can understand along with her how she got to the point of needing intervention. But she isn't really introspective and honest enough to make it as good as it could have been.

This book is so beautifully written, juxtaposed with the harsh subject matter. Concise, succinct use of words, but every word is fraught with depth and importance. Our book club read this for our January meeting and everyone loved it. Truly an insightful look into the world of eating disorders and how they affect not just the person suffering, but the ones who love them.
A must read for all book clubs....great discussion!

The book appeared to be intimidating, but what a fast read. We enjoyed the poetic way in which it was written and the fact that the story was not "all tied up in a neat little bow" at the end. We were a bit surprised that the main character was a French Ballerina as we felt it was too stereotypical. Impressed by the insight into a devastating disease.that frequently goes untreated and if there is treatment, it can take years and years for improvement.

I liked how it was written. It was a very easy read although depressing at times.

This book is easy to read. The author has an interesting reading style that places you in the moment. Well written and informative. The book is about women dealing with anorexia. Now that I think about it, this is a society problem, because men don’t generally become anorexic. It is a tangled web we weave.

Excellent. My thoughts:

1) Don't judge a book by the title - I cracked this one open without checking the blurb but from the title I assumed it would be a sad story about girls being abused in a brothel. Sadly, it wasn't much different, in a sense. These women are trapped and abused but instead of by multiple customers it's only one mean mother fucker named ED.
2) Writing style - Loved the cadence, sometimes poetic, and loved the short, clipped chapters.
3) Slo-mo - Some reviewers felt the book was shallow/lacked substance. Trust me, going deeper is horrific. Rip out any page of this book, and take the pain, anxiety, hopelessness, depression, etc from that page and multiple it by 100. Actually don't, the suffering of ED, for patient and loved ones, is immeasurable. I thought the author did an outstanding job of portraying that angst and helplessness we have all felt when a loved one, or even ourselves, is in a medical emergency or medical limbo. She put you in that cloud of emotions, hand wringing, pacing, and what ifs that make life go into slo-mo and you have no choice but to live minute to minute.
4) Direct Care - This was a fitting, generic term the faceless nurses/employees. They were the benevolent overlords or your only lifeline. It wasn't until the very end that Anna sees them as people.
5) Not perfect - Maybe not intentionally, but what? France has no anorexics? France has passed laws against emaciated models because of body image perception, and yet her family and dad have never heard of anorexia? Maybe I'm being sensitive but it struck me as a "US problem" commentary. That's minor because my major problem is that lack of mothers. I'm not saying that husbands and fathers aren't supportive and caring, but with ED mothers play a much greater role in care than showed in this novel. Women are more sensitive to thoughts of distorted body image and usually more empathetic towards depression. It may be a gross generalization, but in my experience and in online groups and forums, it is usually mothers who lead the charge for recovery and advocacy. Just would have been nice to at least have one character capture this case.

This was a great book and if anyone is interested in learning about ED this is suitable introduction.
Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the preview ARC.

Wish I’d had the opportunity to read this about three years ago. I had two friends that were dealing with
this and I had no idea how to help them or what to say. I also thought optimism was present in this book.

Informative and insightful as to eating disorders, especially anorexia. It was an easy read and I finished it within 24 hours.

Could have developed other minor characters more.

Our book club received advanced copies of this book. WOW what a story. It deals with anorexia. It is a difficult subject matter but the book was so well written that it is easy to read from start to finish. I can honestly say I learned a lot from reading this novel.

Found it hard to identify with the main character but I did gain some insight into anorexia. would have liked author to explore Anna's relationship with the married man a little more.Plot timing was a little slow but ended on a hopeful note. Quick read.

3.5 stars An unflinching, honest look at anorexia and it's effects on the life of Anna, a young French ballerina who has moved to St Louis for her husband's job opportunity. The "girls" at 17 Swann are, like Anna, suffering from eating disorders, but she is the focus. Her fears, her loss of control, her hopes for the future. The writing is really beautiful, with the story going back and forth between Anna's former life and her current situation, filling in the background of what led to her anorexia. Our book club received ARC copies of this book from Book Movement.

This just wasn't a favorite of mine. I found the marriage to be unrealistic and I did not enjoy the author's writing style.

Well worth reading. I learned a lot and recommend people read this book.

A timely book dealing with body image issues and the psychological and physiological impact caused by eating disorders. Beautifully written on a topic that isn't well understood or often discussed from the perspective of one woman dealing with anorexia nervosa. I can't say that this was a light read nor is it a depressing one but it is a bit dark due to the subject matter and the emotions of the characters. I felt sympathy for Anna while at the same time I wanted to shake her and scream "just eat something" knowing that would do no good. Ms. Zgheib provides insight into the struggle of the anorexic as well as the family members supporting them during their struggle.

At times difficult to read, this book opens a window to a world few of us know. Heartfelt, heartbreaking and riveting, the author takes us on a journey through pain and despair anorexia can inflict.

A dark subject told in a believable and touching narrative. Yard Zgheib delivered an absorbing tale that keeps you turning pagesto the very end. I learned a lot about the horrors of eating disorders that makes me much more sympathetic to those with compulsive coping mechanisms. Our entire group loved it.

This book takes you down the path of addiction and what people battle. More importantly it talks about an addiction that has an ingredient that you can never stop: Food. The author allows you to see the inner dialogue that one goes through when trying to make their mind and body work as one and not against them. I do believe that this is the type of book that one should read in their lifetime to understand a certain pov and while you might not be able to relate, you can gain knowledge and act/think accordingly in the future.

Not asu jest I would have chosen, thought I was educated about anorexia. I was wrong, this book gives a no holds barred experience of this disease. Well written and very informative. I feel this should be a book all young adults should read.

Kept me interested on where the characters were going. I wish it would have had more details in the end about how things went after her time in the house.

I wasn't thrilled about this pick for bookclub, but I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. It is written in a unique style that made for easy reading. The subject matter is difficult, but I felt it gave just the right amount of information so you could understand the situations without overwhelming the reader with medical terminology or complex diagnoses. I did not feel that the book was too heavy, mostly because of the underlying support and love story. It gave me tremendous insight into a topic I thought I "knew" about. As a mom with teen/young adult daughters, I would recommend this to other moms and teachers of this age group. Very insightful!

The book was well written. Enjoyed the writer's style and was easy to read. The information and content were informative and the information given on the subject was tastefully handled. We liked the books original cover better than the flyer insert. We would recommend this book to other book clubs.

Our club found "The Girls at 17 Swann Street" really interesting. Most of us knew little to nothing about anorexia besides being vaguely aware of acquaintances we might have known who suffered from the disease. This should be required reading for anyone with a friend or family member affected by an eating disorder.
The characters were interesting and felt true to life and offered a realistic picture of the despair of the patients and their loved ones.
The author's writing style wasn't loved by everyone and was sometimes confusing as to whether the narrator was thinking or speaking, but overall it was a quick and easy read giving thoughtful insight about a topic many don't understand.

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

Characters well developed; story well-written. Plot rolled out in very readable chronology. There is much to be learned about eating disorders from the characters and the treatment facility staff.

I really got into this book and couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next in the characters lives. It gave me insight to eating disorders but more than that, I loved the compassion these women and family members felt for each other.

My bookclub loved this book. It was informative as some of us knew people with this problem. It will definitely make us aware of this disease

Beautifully written book about eating disorders and there effects in its victims and family. One of the best books I’ve read this year.

Anna had hopes of a career as a dancer, but an injury stopped that. Matthew, her husband is offered a job in the United States. They move there from Paris. Anna is lonely working as a cashier in a supermarket.and has self esteem issues. She wants to lose a few pounds, but that turns into anorexia. In order to save herself and her marriage she enters a treatment facility, but it is much harder than she ever expected.
The novel is well written and thought provoking.