The Choice

Winner of the 2017 National Jewish Book Award

The Choice is a powerful, moving memoir from eminent psychologist Edith Eger, whose own experiences as a Holocaust survivor provide an “important message for modern times. The Choice is a triumph, and should be read by all who care about both their inner freedom and the future of humanity” (The New York Times Book Review).

Edith Eger was sixteen years old when the Nazis came to her hometown in Hungary and took her Jewish family to an interment center and then to Auschwitz. Her parents were sent to the gas chamber by Joseph Mengele. Hours later Mengele demanded that Edie dance a waltz to “The Blue Danube” and rewarded her with a loaf of bread that she shared with her fellow prisoners. These women later helped save Edie’s life. Edie and her sister survived Auschwitz, were transferred to the Mauthausen and Gunskirchen camps in Austria, and managed to live until the American troops liberated the camps in 1945 and found Edie in a pile of dying bodies.

Years after she was liberated from the concentration camps Edie went back to college to study psychology. She combines her clinical knowledge and her own experiences with trauma to help others who have experienced painful events large and small. Today, at 90 years old, Edie is a renowed psychologist and speaker who specializes in treating patients with traumatic stress disorders. Edie's life, her work, and this book are an inspiration. "The Choice is a gift to humanity" (Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate).

“A poigantly crafted memoir... a searing, astute study of intensive healing and self-acceptance through the absolution of suffering and atrocity” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review), Eger’s story is “an incredible example of forgiveness, resilience, and generosity” (Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook and founder of LeanIn.org).

An eminent psychologist and one of the few remaining Holocaust survivors old enough to remember life in the camps, Dr. Edith Eger has worked with veterans, military personnel, and victims of physical and mental trauma. She lives in La Jolla, California. She is the author of the award-winning book The Choice and The Gift.