The Choice: A Dating Game Show with a Twist
The Choice: A Book Review
Have you ever wondered how some people can survive the most horrific experiences and still find joy and meaning in life? Have you ever felt trapped by your past or your present circumstances and wished you could break free? Have you ever wanted to learn how to heal yourself and others from emotional wounds and trauma?
The The Choice
If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you should read The Choice, a memoir by Dr. Edith Eva Eger, a psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor. In this book, she shares her remarkable story of survival, resilience, and transformation, and shows us how we can all choose freedom and happiness no matter what we face.
Introduction
What is The Choice about?
The Choice is a memoir that spans the eventful life of Dr. Edith Eva Eger, from her childhood in Hungary to her present day as a renowned psychologist in California. The book is divided into two parts: the first part recounts her harrowing experiences as a teenager in Nazi-occupied Europe, where she was sent to Auschwitz with her parents and sister; the second part describes her journey of healing and helping others overcome their suffering through her work as a therapist.
The book is not only a personal account of one woman's courage and survival, but also a universal message of hope and empowerment. It shows us how we can all choose to live fully and authentically, regardless of the challenges we face. It also teaches us how we can heal ourselves and others from the wounds of the past, by facing them with compassion and forgiveness.
Who are the authors of The Choice?
The main author of The Choice is Dr. Edith Eva Eger, who was born in 1927 in Kassa, Hungary (now Kosice, Slovakia). She was a talented gymnast and dancer who dreamed of becoming an Olympic athlete. However, her life changed dramatically when she was 16 years old and her family was deported to Auschwitz by the Nazis. There, she endured unimaginable horrors, including being forced to dance for the infamous Dr. Josef Mengele, who selected her parents for the gas chamber.
After surviving the Holocaust, she moved to Czechoslovakia with her sister Magda, where she met and married Bela Eger, a fellow survivor. They had three children and immigrated to the United States in 1949. There, she earned her degree in psychology and became a licensed clinical psychologist. She has worked with veterans, survivors of abuse, and patients with PTSD for over 40 years. She is also an acclaimed speaker and author who has received numerous awards and honors for her work.
The co-author of The Choice is Esmé Schwall Weigand, who is a writer and editor based in New York. She has collaborated with several authors on memoirs, biographies, and self-help books. She helped Dr. Eger shape her story into a compelling and inspiring narrative that appeals to a wide audience.
Why should you read The Choice?
You should read The Choice because it is a powerful and uplifting book that will change your perspective on life. It will show you how to:
Overcome adversity and trauma with courage and resilience.
Find meaning and purpose in your experiences, even the most painful ones.
Free yourself from the prison of your own mind and emotions.
Choose love, joy, and gratitude over fear, anger, and resentment.
Forgive yourself and others for the mistakes and hurts of the past.
Embrace your true self and express your creativity and talents.
Help others heal and grow from their own challenges.
The Choice is not only a book, but a gift. It is a gift of wisdom, compassion, and hope that will touch your heart and soul. It is a gift that you can share with your family, friends, and anyone who needs a dose of inspiration and encouragement. It is a gift that you can give to yourself, by making the choice to live fully and freely every day.
Summary of The Choice
Part One: The Holocaust
Edith's childhood and family
In the first part of the book, Edith recalls her childhood in Hungary, where she grew up in a loving and supportive family. She was the youngest of three daughters, born to Lajos and Ilona Olinger, who were Jewish but not religious. Her father was a successful tailor who owned his own shop, and her mother was a homemaker who took care of the children. Edith was close to her sisters Klara and Magda, who were also talented dancers and gymnasts.
Edith describes her childhood as happy and carefree, until the rise of Hitler and the spread of anti-Semitism in Europe. She remembers how her family faced discrimination, harassment, and violence from their neighbors, classmates, and authorities. She remembers how her father was arrested and taken away by the Gestapo for a few weeks, and how he returned broken and depressed. She remembers how her dreams of becoming an Olympic athlete were shattered when she was banned from competing because of her Jewish heritage.
Auschwitz and Mengele
In 1944, when Edith was 16 years old, her family was forced to leave their home and board a cattle car that took them to Auschwitz, the notorious death camp in Poland. There, they were separated by gender and age, and Edith never saw her parents again. She later learned that they were killed in the gas chamber shortly after their arrival.
Edith and Magda were spared from immediate death because they were young and healthy. They were tattooed with numbers on their arms (A-7063 for Edith) and sent to a barracks where they had to endure starvation, disease, cold, beatings, humiliation, and constant fear of death. They also had to face the sadistic experiments of Dr. Josef Mengele, who was known as the "Angel of Death" for his cruel and inhuman medical tests on prisoners.
One day, Mengele asked Edith if she could dance. She said yes, hoping to save her life. He then ordered her to dance for him on a table while he played classical music on his violin. Edith obeyed, but instead of feeling terrified or ashamed, she felt free. She imagined herself dancing on a stage with her partner Eric (a boy she had a crush on back home), wearing a beautiful dress and shoes. She felt joy and gratitude for being alive. She realized that Mengele could not take away her spirit or her choice to be happy.
Liberation and trauma
In January 1945, as the Soviet army approached Auschwitz, Edith and Magda were forced to join a death march to another camp in Germany. Along the way, they witnessed many atrocities and deaths of their fellow prisoners. They also helped each other survive by sharing food, water, clothing, and hope.
They finally arrived at Gunskirchen Lager, a subcamp of Mauthausen concentration camp. There, they were liberated by American soldiers in May 1945. However, their ordeal was not over yet. Edith contracted typhus fever and almost died. She also suffered from nightmares, flashbacks, guilt, shame, anger, grief, and depression. She felt like she had lost everything: her parents, her home, her identity, her innocence.
Part Two: Healing and Freedom
Moving to America and becoming a psychologist
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