A truly humbling, at times heartbreaking but uplifting book

This amazing woman, who is a survivor of Auschwitz and the most heinous crimes against humanity, has written about her childhood, her internment, and her life in Hungary and the US after the war, her struggles as an immigrant with little English, her own marital problems and her growth into a highly respected clinical psychologist who, drawing from her own experiences helped others to free themselves from the prisons created within themselves by life's traumas, including work for the military, helping PTSD patients before the condition was widely recognised.

This book contains a compelling message that we can overcome our demons, move on from hurt and anger and heartbreak and heal ourselves by looking at things in a different way .

Emotional, thought provoking and truly inspirational

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK, Ebury Publishing for the opportunity to read this truly special book. My honest thoughts and opinion are expressed in this review.

A brutal but heartwarming tale of humanity, I couldn’t put this down. A real insight into the suffering of the Jews during WW2 and how in spite of it they made lives for themselves.

I thought this was a truly astonishing book and I loved it. As some people have already said, it does move towards being more in the self-help category than a memoir and whilst this isn't the usual sort of book I would read, I can't recommend it enough. I love that only the first third of the book really focuses on the author's time in Auschwitz, it leaves the rest of the book open to explore and celebrate the rest of Edith Eger's incredible life. I found it really inspiring and I would absolutely recommend it.

I enjoyed this book but found it to be more of a self help type genre rather than a biography/novel. The background of the author and the way it affected her whole life was very inspiring.

I loved this book. At times it was a harrowing read, but it was so informative. It was also beautifully written and so fascinating. I found Edith so inspiring and thought her message of choosing to live and forgive was so powerful.

Heartbreaking and spellbinding in equal measure. A testament to both the evil of man and the strength of human kindness that endeavours to overcome it.

I have long had an interest in the events of WW2 and the depravity that one mans “vision” can lead to in, seemingly normal, men and women. How did these monsters commit in good faith the heinous crimes that they did? Were they too, frightened for their lives, doing anything they could to survive or were they intoxicated by the power they now held in considering themselves superior to others? How do those who suffered at the hands of the Nazi regime then go on to lead happy, fulfilling lives?

This remarkable lady tells of the brutal acts that befell her and thousands upon thousands of others with grace, poise and, forgiveness. Dr Eger also talks about how she used her experiences, and the subsequent knowledge she gained through education, to help others believe that they always have choices and what we decide, even when it appears all is lost, is how to survive the day to be free tomorrow.

A must read.

An astonishing book, written by a remarkable lady. So much compassion and wisdom, born out of the most agonizing of experiences, Dr Eger has taken her own struggle to come to terms with what happened to her and spent her life helping others to come to terms with their own.

What an amazing lady. This book was interesting and difficult to read in places due to the subject matter. The book is well written and everyone should read it because this really happened however hard it is to believe. Highly recommend

Wow what an amazing lady and book.!
Every page of this book delivers a powerful message. Within the lines we see that this remarkable lady has always had courage, determination and a reason to live.
Reading about her traumatic experience firstly being Jewish, then during WW2, Auschwitz and her afterlife as a survivor.
I would highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy modern history but also those readers who enjoy reading true life experiences.

This profoundly moving account of Edith Eger and her experience as a prisoner in Auschwitz, as a child, shows the depth of brutality that mankind can sink to. A deeply disturbing book to read that had me weeping in despair at some points, when faced with the reality of the Holocaust as seen through the eyes of so young a person. What makes this book so remarkable is this is not the end. Left for dead in a pile of bodies, Edith goes on to not only rebuild her life but still has enough faith left in humanity to help rebuild the lives of others. A testament to the human spirit, to hope, and to a remarkable woman. Highly Recommended.

I found this to be a fascinating story and had difficulty putting the book down. The manner in which the tale is told gives an interesting insight into the life of the author and how she can relate to her clients and audiences. Definitely recommended.

I found this book to be very interesting, although it did take me a while to get into it. A fascinating story with lots of insights to her life during and after the war. Definitely recommended.

I've had the choice on my kindle for awhile and have only just got around to reading it, and I can honestly say it has been one of the most amazing stories I have read in a long time, why didn't I read it sooner? I have cried with her tale and cried at my own feelings that this book has stirred up in me as well. I think the choice should be a must on every ones reading list, It is a truly harrowing story about the young Edith and her family who were sent to Auschwitz by the Nazis, the most amazing thing about Ediths story is her resilience to survive in a place where millions died but also her triumph of surging and how she overcomes prejudice, moving to a new country and becoming psychologist to help others over come their problems all the while dealing with her own inner turmoil. Wow just wow, well done Edith x

What a book! I have been profoundly touched by its content! This is compulsive reading. It, also, is horrific in its content. How Edith survived is incredible. What she has made of her life afterwards is beyond belief. Many who had been through her traumatic experiences would sit down and moan about the hand that life has dealt them but not Edith! She shines like a light athrough the trauma and degredation that life dealt out to her and then uses her experiences to train and to help others who have experienced all sorts of trauma. What a woman!!
A MUST READ. I am buying copies as Christmas presents for friends and family. Unfortunately 5* is the highest we can rate I would like to rate five times five star!!

Moving, informative and life affirming. An insight into a strong woman who shares her life experience to enable others. Everyone should read it.

A memoir of a phenomenal woman. From teenage Auschwitz survivor to an internationally acclaimed psychologist working with those who suffer from PTSD and trauma. An interesting read and one filled with kindness and positivity. 4.5 stars.

Imagine your worst nightmare, several times over, and then even worse again, and Edith Eger has lived it.

A survivor of three Nazi “labour” camps; Auschwitz, Mauthausen and Gunskirchen, as Jews, Edith and her sisters survived the war by a combination of strength, determination and luck. They were shot at, singled out and humiliated.

Yet somehow they each survived their ordeal, making them much stronger individuals.

When the war was over, each of them found it difficult to come to terms with what had taken place. The brutality and horror of the conditions that they’d been subject to, and the loss of other family members that they were separated from.

Somehow they moved on and got on with their lives. Edith ending up in America with a new husband, and building a new life and family away from her home country that bought so many memories.

However Edith didn’t escape the past fully, and didn’t realise that she was suffering from post traumatic stress until much later on life, when her behaviour in certain situations was questionable to say the least.

So Edith decided that she needed help, and in doing so, found that she wanted to help others. For many years Edith has been a celebrated psychologist helping others with PTSD. She is a remarkable woman, as are her sisters.

This is a book that will make you re-evaluate your life and the decisions that you make on a daily basis. It will also make you truly grateful to be alive.

This is one book that stays with you and will give you new perspectives on life.
There are a lot of self help books out there but this, though not meaning to be, is one of the best I have read to give you motivation and perspective.
This is a book everyone should read and gave me many new perspectives on areas of history I thought I knew about.
It gives a new insight into forgiveness and what is important in life.
Read it you will not regret it.

To read any story about the holocaust is always painful. How can a country under the leadership of a dictator perpetuate such horrendous crimes against fellow human beings in the name of a misconceived ideology; the creation of a master Aryan race.

Edith Eger lived with her mother, father and two sisters Magda and Klara in Kosice Slovakia. One morning in May 1944 she and her family (minus Klara who successfully managed to hide from the jack booted thugs) together with a great number of fellow Slovak residents were arrested and bundled into animal transporters then taken to Auschwitz birkenau extermination camp. What followed was one of the greatest acts of mass genocide ever committed. On arrival at Auschwitz the new residents would be greeted by the quietly spoken Dr. Mengele...."I recognize the uniformed officer from the selection line. I know it's him, the way he smiles with his lips parted, the gap between his front teeth. Dr. Mengele, we learn. He is a refined killer and a lover of the arts".......The good doctor gives directions either to the left or right. Those who went left, children and those over 40 received an immediate death sentence under the guise of a communal shower. This was the last time that Edith ever saw her parents again. Edith and Magda survived, Edith being discovered discarded and naked barely alive hidden beneath a pile of bodies.

The Choice is a story of survival. It is the account of a woman badly traumatized by inhuman treatment yet able to use this terror and in a positive way help others address their own issues and grief...."Just remember, no one can take away from you, what you've put in your mind. We can't choose to vanish the dark, but we can choose to kindle the light.".......In life there is always a choice and by sharing openly our greatest fear, and with the help and guidance of professional psychologists living can be worthwhile and meaningful again. Many thanks to the good people of netgalley for a gratis copy in exchange for an honest review and that is what I have written.

Edith Eger's memoir of surviving Auschwitz and dealing with surviving is inspirational. This is not an easy book to read and Dr Eger holds back nothing. I have read many Holocaust survivor stories, but this is the first that deals with the aftermath of surviving in such great detail. It is this detail and the stories of her patients that make this book stand out as one of hope, love, survivorship, forgiveness and so much more.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.