The Girls at 17 Swann Street - Yara Zgheib

The Girls at 17 Swann Street by Yara Zgheib
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is powerful.
Anna Roux was a ballet dancer who is injured and then follows her husband from Paris to St. Louis. Thrown amidst unfamiliar surroundings, loneliness, and feelings of no purpose, depression and anorexia get a hold of her. This is the story of how the disease snuck up on her and her journey through treatment at 17 Swann Street.
Anna and the other girls at Swann Street are written so beautifully and poignantly. As I was reading, I could envision them as real people with real struggles – food-oriented and otherwise. The way Anna relates to the other women in the house. The reflection into her past and attempt to rebuild relationships. Her relationship with Matthias is complicated and heartbreaking and hopeful.
Her struggles. Triumphs. Setbacks. I cried. I cheered. I felt.
I did get a little lost at times in conversations as far as who was speaking as there were no quotation marks or clear breaks at times. But the story and characters superseded any of those issues. It all seemed very well researched or experienced as well.
I think this is an important book for people to read to humanize the very real disease of eating disorders.

Trigger Warning: It goes without saying (I hope) but this book centers around anorexia, bulimia, and unhealthy food relationships.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.


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