The Girls at 17 Swann Street: Book Review

Yara Zgheib did a great job of taking the reader into the world of eating disorders and inpatient recovery. The slippery slope that Anna slid down, removing one food group, controlling every bite and becoming obsessed with eating and food is hard to explain and understand from the outside and even harder to watch someone you love slide.

After ballet and a transatlantic move Anna needs to find control somewhere and she finds that in food and eating. Despite pleas from her loved ones Anna continues to sink farther and farther until she reaches rock bottom and finds herself among the ladies of 17 Swann Street. In this house she will find help and friendship, she will experience tough love and true love. Anna will discover she has a life worth living and that she is enough.

Thanks to NetGalley I received an advanced copy of this book, along with several other books creating an enormous “to be read” list!! I am not alone though and found a great group of ladies that I am reducing my NetGalley numbers along with. The Girls at 17 Swann Street was one that several of us needed to read so we read it together, which is always more fun. I knew it would be hard for me to read a book on this topic from personal struggles but I am in a great place and able to appreciate Anna and her fellow housemates. However, there were several times the tears flowed for Anna and her friends, for past me and for my friends that struggled. I cried a little because the struggle is never gone and over but the strength makes each day a little easier.

I’m not sure if it was the format of the galley that was hard to follow or if Anna being young and French created odd inner dialogue but there were moments I wished for a more straight forward format of dialogue. I was satisfied with the ending and found the introduction to characters and relationships was laid out well. I gave 5 stars on Goodreads, partly because it was a great book and partly because I have not connected with a book so deeply in a long time.