A Meaningful and Closer Look at Eating Disorders
A Meaningful and Closer Look at Eating Disorders
When I decided to start reading The Girls at 17 Swann Street by Yara Zgheib I was unaware of the subject the novel was about. Usually I read the blurb about the book on the back cover before I begin to read a book but this time I just dove right into the story. I was aware of the eating disorder, anorexia, but I have never encountered anyone actually having this disorder or any other eating disorder for that matter. Yara Zgheib did an excellent job as she portrayed several characters each with their own demons that brought on their own forms of eating disorders. The bond that the girls formed at 17 Swann Street was unique, special and so very meaningful.
Anna, the main character of The Girls at 17 Swann Street was a 26 year old married woman suffering from anorexia. She was married to Matthias and the two shared a beautiful and endearing love for one another. When Matthias brought Anna to 17 Swann Street she weighed a mere eighty eight pounds and her diet consisted of apples and popcorn. Anna originally lived in Paris with her family when she first met Matthias and fell head over heals for him and him for her. She was a ballerina dancer and was constantly reminded to practice hard and loose a few pounds. Her career as a dancer never really took off. Then Matthias was offered a good job in America and so they moved to Saint Louis. The move was hard for Anna. She did not know anyone and there were not many opportunities for dancers. Anna ended up working as a cashier at a supermarket. In the meantime, Matthias was working really hard and he was not home a lot for Anna. Right before Anna left Paris she had had an accident and was forced to give up dancing. She was unable to dance, exercise or run for months. Anna began at that point telling herself that she had to get back into shape. That was the beginning of denying herself a lot of the foods she used to love and to compulsively start to run and exercise. Unfortunately, these new habits continued in Saint Louis and became even worse. One day, Matthias came home to find that Anna had fainted on the bathroom floor. Matthias knew he had to do something and he had to do it now. That was the day that he checked Anna into 17 Swann Street.
The Girls at 17 Swann Street by Yara Zgheib was a very well written novel. She really made you feel as if you could share the thoughts and struggles the girls at 17 Swann Street were experiencing. I really enjoyed reading this book. It was hard to put down once I started it. This is Yara Zgheib’s first novel. Hopefully,she will continue to write many more in the future. I highly recommend it. Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Goodreads for sending me this ARC. All the thoughts in this review are my own.
When I decided to start reading The Girls at 17 Swann Street by Yara Zgheib I was unaware of the subject the novel was about. Usually I read the blurb about the book on the back cover before I begin to read a book but this time I just dove right into the story. I was aware of the eating disorder, anorexia, but I have never encountered anyone actually having this disorder or any other eating disorder for that matter. Yara Zgheib did an excellent job as she portrayed several characters each with their own demons that brought on their own forms of eating disorders. The bond that the girls formed at 17 Swann Street was unique, special and so very meaningful.
Anna, the main character of The Girls at 17 Swann Street was a 26 year old married woman suffering from anorexia. She was married to Matthias and the two shared a beautiful and endearing love for one another. When Matthias brought Anna to 17 Swann Street she weighed a mere eighty eight pounds and her diet consisted of apples and popcorn. Anna originally lived in Paris with her family when she first met Matthias and fell head over heals for him and him for her. She was a ballerina dancer and was constantly reminded to practice hard and loose a few pounds. Her career as a dancer never really took off. Then Matthias was offered a good job in America and so they moved to Saint Louis. The move was hard for Anna. She did not know anyone and there were not many opportunities for dancers. Anna ended up working as a cashier at a supermarket. In the meantime, Matthias was working really hard and he was not home a lot for Anna. Right before Anna left Paris she had had an accident and was forced to give up dancing. She was unable to dance, exercise or run for months. Anna began at that point telling herself that she had to get back into shape. That was the beginning of denying herself a lot of the foods she used to love and to compulsively start to run and exercise. Unfortunately, these new habits continued in Saint Louis and became even worse. One day, Matthias came home to find that Anna had fainted on the bathroom floor. Matthias knew he had to do something and he had to do it now. That was the day that he checked Anna into 17 Swann Street.
The Girls at 17 Swann Street by Yara Zgheib was a very well written novel. She really made you feel as if you could share the thoughts and struggles the girls at 17 Swann Street were experiencing. I really enjoyed reading this book. It was hard to put down once I started it. This is Yara Zgheib’s first novel. Hopefully,she will continue to write many more in the future. I highly recommend it. Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Goodreads for sending me this ARC. All the thoughts in this review are my own.