his compelling story gives a realistic view of the trauma Anorexia produces in those afflicted as well as their family. Few standing on the periphery understand the significance or severity these young women face. Nor the impact it has on family members. So while eating is a terrifying experience and the road to healing is fraught with fear and pain those closest to the sufferer are at times impatient and dispassionate about the very real pain of the patient. We observe the challenges of several traumatized women as they fight to break the tentacles of this disease.
The women living at 17 Swann Street are living at a residential treatment facility for eating disorders, though most are anorexic a few are bulimic (a flip side of the same coin). For each, their condition is so severe that some may not live to their next birthday. However, the book successfully navigates a fine balance of not over dramatizing the facts and instead shows how the condition actually manifests among the different residents. We are primarily focused on Anna's life in the present and how this disease slowly progressed in an effort to achieve greater status in the ballet world. While she was pursuing her dream, her home life crumbled with the shocking loss of people dear to her. Then other life circumstances happened that left her isolated and remote from others, eating or more specifically the avoidance of eating became her biggest focus and its true destructive force is unleashed in tandem.
Meanwhile, we experience the horror and humiliation of being monitored as a diet she doesn't choose is monitored by every morsel that she is required to eat in front of dispassionate staff, whose sole purpose is to see she consumes each calorie laden tidbit and monitoring her to assure that she doesn't go about tactics to reject that which is recently ingested (requests to use the bathroom or other means to sabotage her program). It is a battle against the mind versus the need to survive. This battle is very real. Unfortunately, some will loose. She deals with all this pain and heartbreak day by day, separated from her adoring and supportive husband, Matthew and a disconnect from her siblings. Sadly, others in the program don't have much of a support system, and some have none.
This story does an excellent job of presenting the powerlessness that suffers experience as well as a disconnect from others as the disease takes center stage in their lives because they have not addressed or successfully processed significant problems and disappointments in their life. These women have in some measure lost hope in their future and in turn it robs them in the present moment.
Years ago, I was one of these patients. I remember young women like Anna particular one continues to stand out more than 25 years later, her name is Katie. She was one of the sweetest people, you would ever get the privilege to meet. One day in body imagining group, where we wore bathing suits and each woman (no men in my group, although that is a bit more common these days), and it was Katie's turn. First, she shared her perceptions of herself, which were appallingly different than how I and others saw her. As she diminished herself, I sat and cried. When the therapist opened the forum for others to comment, various people shared what they saw. I volunteered my perceptions. I remember telling her that when I saw her, I saw a frail person that had aged before her time, someone who looked like a Holocaust survivor (I knew some), that she looked like photos I had seen of those found at the camps, who were liberated by the after the Allied invasion and victory. As I spoke, tears were flowing down my checks and I begged her to do whatever was necessary to recover because I was afraid for her life! I tried to keep in touch after I left but she did not return my calls (this is common among anorexics). Katie has always remained in my mind and heart. I hope she fought for her for she is a beautiful person despite her tortured soul.
This book presents a very real problem and offers hope, which given the prognosis of some was a challenge the novel met head-on. Technically, I think some of staff behavior's demonstrated was a bit harsh then again, the program I was in was considered exceptional and it is a rather minor quibble.
The book does an excellent job at demonstrating the control this disease exercises over the afflicted and the emotional pain of healing. Anna is in some ways the girl next door and at the same time someone who tried to achieve the extraordinary. Matthew is a loving, supportive man who is committed to Anna and dedicated to supporting her no matter what the cost to him.
This is definitely a book to be given to any young woman, who is pursuing dreams that require a "certain look" or appearance. Society continues to value appearance so much more than character or intellect, it is no wonder that this disease exists in Western nations at such an alarming rate. While third world countries struggle to feed their people.
The women living at 17 Swann Street are living at a residential treatment facility for eating disorders, though most are anorexic a few are bulimic (a flip side of the same coin). For each, their condition is so severe that some may not live to their next birthday. However, the book successfully navigates a fine balance of not over dramatizing the facts and instead shows how the condition actually manifests among the different residents. We are primarily focused on Anna's life in the present and how this disease slowly progressed in an effort to achieve greater status in the ballet world. While she was pursuing her dream, her home life crumbled with the shocking loss of people dear to her. Then other life circumstances happened that left her isolated and remote from others, eating or more specifically the avoidance of eating became her biggest focus and its true destructive force is unleashed in tandem.
Meanwhile, we experience the horror and humiliation of being monitored as a diet she doesn't choose is monitored by every morsel that she is required to eat in front of dispassionate staff, whose sole purpose is to see she consumes each calorie laden tidbit and monitoring her to assure that she doesn't go about tactics to reject that which is recently ingested (requests to use the bathroom or other means to sabotage her program). It is a battle against the mind versus the need to survive. This battle is very real. Unfortunately, some will loose. She deals with all this pain and heartbreak day by day, separated from her adoring and supportive husband, Matthew and a disconnect from her siblings. Sadly, others in the program don't have much of a support system, and some have none.
This story does an excellent job of presenting the powerlessness that suffers experience as well as a disconnect from others as the disease takes center stage in their lives because they have not addressed or successfully processed significant problems and disappointments in their life. These women have in some measure lost hope in their future and in turn it robs them in the present moment.
Years ago, I was one of these patients. I remember young women like Anna particular one continues to stand out more than 25 years later, her name is Katie. She was one of the sweetest people, you would ever get the privilege to meet. One day in body imagining group, where we wore bathing suits and each woman (no men in my group, although that is a bit more common these days), and it was Katie's turn. First, she shared her perceptions of herself, which were appallingly different than how I and others saw her. As she diminished herself, I sat and cried. When the therapist opened the forum for others to comment, various people shared what they saw. I volunteered my perceptions. I remember telling her that when I saw her, I saw a frail person that had aged before her time, someone who looked like a Holocaust survivor (I knew some), that she looked like photos I had seen of those found at the camps, who were liberated by the after the Allied invasion and victory. As I spoke, tears were flowing down my checks and I begged her to do whatever was necessary to recover because I was afraid for her life! I tried to keep in touch after I left but she did not return my calls (this is common among anorexics). Katie has always remained in my mind and heart. I hope she fought for her for she is a beautiful person despite her tortured soul.
This book presents a very real problem and offers hope, which given the prognosis of some was a challenge the novel met head-on. Technically, I think some of staff behavior's demonstrated was a bit harsh then again, the program I was in was considered exceptional and it is a rather minor quibble.
The book does an excellent job at demonstrating the control this disease exercises over the afflicted and the emotional pain of healing. Anna is in some ways the girl next door and at the same time someone who tried to achieve the extraordinary. Matthew is a loving, supportive man who is committed to Anna and dedicated to supporting her no matter what the cost to him.
This is definitely a book to be given to any young woman, who is pursuing dreams that require a "certain look" or appearance. Society continues to value appearance so much more than character or intellect, it is no wonder that this disease exists in Western nations at such an alarming rate. While third world countries struggle to feed their people.