When I read The Choice, I did not have the words to express just how inspiring and thought-provoking Edith Eger's story was. Now, in The Gift, she passes on her extensive knowledge and wisdom from years of working with clients as a clinical psychologist, as well as life lessons she has learnt on her own journey to wholeness. For anyone trapped in the prison of their own thoughts, this book truly is a gift. It is written in such an accessible, charming and gentle way, it really made me want to buy this book for all my loved ones. On a personal level, it came into my life at just the right time and the lessons I learnt whilst reading it will remain with me for life.

Whether you are trapped in your powerlessness or a broken relationship, dealing with grief or illness, there is a life lesson in here for everyone. It will make you think differently, it will give you ownership over your own life and behaviours, and will show you why we can get caught up in self-defeating patterns, that whilst once serving a purpose, can become harmful when left unchallenged. I read this book cover to cover in a day and I related to every chapter. Interspersed with stories from clients' lives, her own experiences and that of her family, there is practical and thoughtful advice for helping people free themselves from their own personal prisons, allowing them to live an authentic, fulfilling life, full of self-care and self-love. To truly recognise that there is joy to be found in every day, and that whilst there will always be pain, trauma and hard times, we get to choose how we react to these challenges. Small changes in, for example, the language we use to talk to ourselves and others, can lead to huge improvements in relationships. Owning our mistakes and instead of using them to punish ourselves, we can soften the impact of those mistakes and accept that we are human, no better, no worse than any other person.

If I could give The Gift more than five stars I would. Truly inspiring and truly a gift for everyone who reads this amazing book.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK for my copy of this book. Having read and enjoyed The Choice, Edith Eger's previous book, I was keen to read this one and was not disappointed. In The Gift, Edith movingly shares her wealth of experience from years of working in psychotherapy. I love her ideas and suggestions even though they often seem hard e.g. don't ever criticise. I am starting to implement them and am already seeing positive changes within my own family. Everyone should read Edith's books.

This is a beautifully written book by a lady who survived the unthinkable at Auschwitz. She is more than equipped to help you get your life back on track and does so with eloquence and dignity. Case studies and personal experience are used to teach the twelve lessons she shares for healing. The book is full of positivity and encouragement and does not dwell on any of the darkness she suffered. This is an amazing book that should be read by everyone.

A very powerful and inspiring book. Giving useful anecdotes to the narrative of how we are victims of out thoughts.
Highlights ways we can help to change our thinking and mindset to be more productive and kinder to ourselves.

This is an inspirational read written by someone who has been through horrors we can only imagine.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I really enjoyed this book and its been written in a way that is easy to understand. The authors own personal journey was very interesting and this is interspersed with real life examples of clients that she has helped which really helps to illustrate the points that she is making. I plan to implement a few of her tips and techniques into my life to try and manage my anxiety/stress better.

This is an inspiring book and what I love about it is the real life examples which I find very useful to understand the context. The author has had an difficulty and incredible life.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy in exchange for a honest review.

This self-help book, written by an Auschwitz survivor, is brimming with wisdom, compassion and a love for humanity. I wish I had Edith Eger on call whenever I needed advice but this is a definite second best. There are plenty of case studies and tips on how to help you navigate this world and free yourself from self-imposed shackles. What I like about the book is that it gives you a great sense of empowerment and some top tips which aren’t always obvious. Will definitely read again!

The Gift is an inspirational and highly practical guide to achieving optimum mental health and life outcomes. Edith Eger's story as an Auschwitz survivor is extremely powerful in itself. Add to this her advice and wisdom as she channels her own experiences into modern-day steps for self-care and you have a genuine book for life.

It can easily be read through in one sitting. But her words stay with you as if she is sitting on your shoulder as you go about your daily tasks. Her insights are helping me to make better choices about how I frame my perspectives on problems and challenges, as well as when working with others.

I am grateful to the publishers for a review copy via NetGalley.

This book is great! Lots of brilliant advice from the author. I've read her previous book and this is a great follow up. Definitely recommended for all.

A truly amazing woman, after all her suffering at Auschwitz, she not only overcame and survived, she went on to study psychology and had helped other people, and is still helping by writing her books!
This book differs from Edith Egers book 'the choice ' because it has stories from other survivors of various incidents and it tells how her advice helped them! Advice which even I found interesting and made me think about things in a different way. Such an amazing book from a really remarkable woman. I think everyone should read at least one of her books.
Thank you netgalley.

Hope. It’s what lit the fire within my soul when I read ‘The Choice’ and it’s what made its flame shine even brighter as I made my way through ‘The Gift’. Hope that I can do the work that I know I need to do in order to address the pain and trauma I’ve experienced. Hope, because if Edith Eger can do it then so can I. Hope, which Dr Eger defines as “the awareness that suffering, however terrible, is temporary; and the curiosity to discover what happens next.”

One of my takeaways from ‘The Choice’ was a desire to have the opportunity to be counselled by Dr Eger, a survivor whose experiences, compassion and insight combine to allow her to get to the root of a problem before she lovingly guides you towards the you that you’ve been stifling under layers of pain, anger, [insert relevant adjective/s here], and paralysing what if’s. You may never have the honour of sitting across from Dr Eger in her office but this book is the next best thing.

“All therapy is grief work. A process of confronting a life where you expect one thing and get another, a life that brings you the unexpected and unanticipated.”

If you’ve already read ‘The Choice’ then you’ll be familiar with some of the stories of Dr Eger’s life and those of her patients that are included in this book. You’ll also find stories that will be new to you, which help illustrate the points Dr Eger makes as she hands you the keys that will help you unlock the prison of your mind.

“To heal doesn’t mean to get over it, but it does mean that we are able to be wounded and whole, to find happiness and fulfillment in our lives despite our loss.”

Twelve keys are presented in this book. Dr Eger addresses the prisons of victimhood, avoidance, self-neglect, secrets, guilt and shame, unresolved grief, rigidity, resentment, paralysing fear, judgement, hopelessness, and not forgiving.

At the end of each chapter you’ll find ‘Keys to Free Yourself’. These consolidate what you’ve learned in the chapter and can be used to facilitate your own healing. Some require you to use your imagination. Others provide prompts that you can use in journalling. Then there are some that would be ideal to work through with a therapist.

“I like to remind my patients: the opposite of depression is expression.
What comes out of you doesn’t make you sick; what stays in there does.”

This is one of those books where it would have been much easier to have highlighted the passages that didn’t speak directly to me. While I discovered the gems in this book in the order Dr Eger has presented them, you don’t need to do this. Each chapter is its own lesson, so you can take what you need when you need it. I know I will be rereading this book from cover to cover in the not too distant future but I also anticipate I’ll be spending more time on specific chapters over time.

Although healing from pain and trauma is serious work, that doesn’t mean there aren’t smiles to be had as you make your way through this book. Currently, my favourite smile-inducing quote is about taking charge:

“Don’t be Cinderella, sitting in the kitchen waiting for a guy with a foot fetish.”

You could dive into this book without having experienced ‘The Choice’ but I would recommend reading them in the order of publication. While you can apply the lessons to your life without knowing Dr Eger’s own story, they’re enriched by this knowledge.

Because I know what Dr Eger chose to share in ‘The Choice’, I trust her when she outlines what she found helpful. I also can’t give myself an out, claiming something is too difficult, when I have witnessed someone I now have such admiration for working through unimaginable pain and trauma to find freedom.

“I now recognize that the most damaging prison is in our mind, and the key is in our pocket. No matter how great our suffering or how strong the bars, it’s possible to break free from whatever’s holding us back.
It is not easy. But it is so worth it.”

Content warnings include addiction, death by suicide, domestic violence, eating disorders, grief, gun violence, murder, racism, sexual assault, suicidal ideation and torture.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Rider, an imprint of Ebury Press, Penguin Random House UK, for the opportunity to read this book.

A self help book written by a woman who has every reason to hate and who is eminently experienced to teach us how to be better, kinder, people to ourselves. Her story is heart rending but that is not the point of the book. She is using her knowledge, her self taught through extreme hardship to give us lesson in life. Worth reading most definitely.

I hadn't heard of the author before but her story and the way she has ultimately chosen to view it is very uplifting and thought provoking. I read it at a time where I really needed to have extra belief in myself ( total career rethink and big interview) and it really helped. I found myself following the tips in the book and believing I could do it rather than the self doubt that I am habitually plagued with. Not sure how much the advice differs to other self help books as I haven't read any but the difference with this is how we can see the author has worked through her own issues .

Edith gives excellent advice on leading a positive life, which includes case studies of her clients as well as making links to her time in Auschwitz. She talks about anger, grief and forgiveness in such a way that you feel you can make those positive changes to your life. I would recommend reading The Choice first, so you understand Edith’s childhood. Another truly inspiring book by a remarkable lady.

I visited Auschwitz last October. I read a variety of fiction and non-fiction books set in and about it after I returned. The book which stood out most for me was Edith Eger’s The Choice. I was therefore hugely interested in reading The Gift. It is short, but it took me a while to read as there is so much to take in and reflect upon. There are questions at the end of each chapter to encourage you to focus on your own life and the changes you can make. This book is superb. I will be buying it for friends and family and will be buying a copy for our school library.

I liked this book at the beginning but once I got further in I didnt understand how some of the stories connected to that chapter or how it applied to that story. There were some good bits of advice and wisdom in it but I found myself drifting away from it or skimming some parts that didnt appeal to me

So much of this book resonated with me! Although I have a very different story to Dr Eger's, I also recognised that I had a choice in how I respond to what was done to me and how I want to live my life
I refused to be identified by what had happened to me (gang raped at 13) and chose to take back my power by living my life as well as I can.

I think this will be a great self help guide to anyone that is struggling or feels stuck in life. She offers such wisdom not only through her professional achievements but her incredible story of survival

"Even a Nazi can be a messenger of God. This boy was my best teacher, guiding me to the choice I always have to replace judgement with compassion - to recognise our shared humanity and practice love"

"To celebrate the gift of life is to find the gift in everything that happens, even the parts that are difficult, that we're not sure we can survive. To celebrate ;life, period. To Live with joy, love and passion"

Dr Edith Eger is the author of The Choice, a memoir of her life before, during and after her time in Nazi concentration camps during WW2. The Choice is a stunning piece of writing and an ideal read for anyone wanting a true perspective of life in the death camps I would thoroughly recommend it, Dr Eger is an absolute inspiration. The Gift is her self help book as she is a qualified therapist. The basis of her theory is one which I always espouse, that we cannot control events, we can only control our reaction to these events. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, Dr Eger is a wise woman who I would love to meet, she is still dancing and high kicking in her 90s and is a real heroine of mine.

I have not read The Choice, the previous book from Edith Eger but I definitely want to now. Great quick tips and an inspiring story. Being a survivor of Auschwitz and then her career as a therapist means that this incredible woman has so many life affirming stories to tell and top tips to share that enable the reader to reflect constantly on their own life.