The Choice by Edith Eger

Recently I have read a handful of memoirs, written by individuals who have lived and survived the horrors of Auschwitz in World War two, including The Tattooist of Auschwitz, that was written by Heather Morris for Lale Sokolov (five star read!) and The Choice.

These reads are both inspiring; both Lale and Edith survived what many people may have thought to have been certain death, but with utter strength and determination they survived. So, if you read this type of non-fiction, I highly recommend the both of these. *Tissues will be needed!*

The Choice *Blurb from Amazon*

“In 1944, sixteen-year-old ballerina Edith Eger was sent to Auschwitz. Separated from her parents on arrival, she endures unimaginable experiences, including being made to dance for the infamous Josef Mengele. When the camp is finally liberated, she is pulled from a pile of bodies, barely alive.

The horrors of the Holocaust didn’t break Edith. In fact, they helped her learn to live again with a life-affirming strength and a truly remarkable resilience.

The Choice is her unforgettable story. It shows that hope can flower in the most unlikely places.”

Book Review

 

 

The one thing that I was worried about while writing this review was struggling to express how beautiful and heart-breaking this book is. It’s a book about love, hope, loss and survival, the way it has been created is perfect. I’m starting by saying that there is not one thing wrong with this book, it’s no shock why this read is an international bestseller.

Edith lived with her family in Hungary with her parents and two sisters. She was an amazing ballerina, close to qualifying for the Olympics, I say close because she was disqualified. Why, you ask?  Because Edith Eger is a Jew. This was a reason for her and her family to be judged, spat on in the streets and sent to Auschwitz, to endure the horrors no person should experience including dancing for the evil Dr Josef Mengele.

What makes The Choice such a special story is the way Edith did not let her past define her, she refused to be victimised. There are so many inspirational messages in Edith’s writing, including;

“No matter how frustrating or boring or constraining or painful or oppressive our experience, we can always choose how we respond.”

…and…

“We can’t choose to vanish the dark, but we can choose to kindle the light.”

This is the inspirational story of a woman who saw that she had two choices; to be a victim or to not victim. She chose the strength to survive a cruel life.

The Choice is a heart-breaking, rush of emotion read of a woman and her sisters who travelled to hell and back, while never giving up on life itself; she lived through a broken back and starvation to become a psychologist; she’s a survivor who has become a pillar of courage to help others survive realities of their life. Being a Jew defined her past, but she won’t let the horrors she’s seen define her future. Edith is not a victim. Edith is an inspiration!

The storyline was written perfectly, split into four parts, with their own sub-chapters of that part of Edith’s life. The writing is purely exceptional, as you can tell from my passionate review, I loved this book and would recommend it to the highest possible point. Everyone needs to read this book!

I’ve also included a link here of Edith Eger top tips about living your best life, she is such a sweetheart!