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Cover of The Choice by Edith Eger

Essential read

The Choice

Embrace the Possible

by Edith Eger

An Auschwitz survivor who became a psychologist shares her journey to freedom and healing.

  • Published 2017
  • Easy read
  • Stories and memoir
  • 2 min analysis
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Introduction

Edith Eger was a sixteen-year-old ballet student in Hungary when she was deported to Auschwitz in 1944. Her parents were killed there; she survived and later became a psychologist in the United States, working with veterans and trauma survivors. The Choice, published in 2017, is her memoir.

She describes her survival, decades of hidden pain, and the slow process of healing, and shares stories from her patients.

Who should read this book?

Readers seeking hope after trauma, people interested in Holocaust history and anyone struggling to let go of the past.

Helps with: Bounce back from setbacks, Heal and grow

The central message

We cannot change what happened, but we can choose how we respond and free ourselves from the prison of the past.

Key ideas and concepts

  1. Victimization vs victimhood

    Eger distinguishes being harmed by others, which is not our fault, from the ongoing choice to see ourselves as victims, which can keep us imprisoned.

  2. Facing the past

    For decades Eger hid her history. Healing required returning to it, including revisiting Auschwitz.

  3. Forgiveness as freedom

    Forgiveness, for Eger, is about releasing herself from the past, not excusing what was done.

  4. Choice even in suffering

    Like Viktor Frankl, whom she met, she believes we always retain some freedom in how we respond.

  5. Many paths to healing

    Stories from her patients show that healing takes different forms for different people.

Deeper analysis

The Choice is powerful, moving and hopeful. Eger's account of Auschwitz, where she was forced to dance for Josef Mengele, and of her decades of hidden pain afterward is unforgettable. Her journey to becoming a psychologist and finally confronting her past gives the book unusual depth: she writes not only as a survivor but as a healer. Her distinction between being victimized and choosing victimhood is a valuable idea for anyone stuck in the past.

Some readers may find the emphasis on choice challenging if they feel trapped by trauma; healing is rarely a simple decision, and professional support is often needed, as Eger herself shows by describing her own therapy. The patient stories, while illuminating, are brief. It's an inspiring memoir rather than a treatment guide.

Practical applications

  • Write about a past experience you avoid.
  • Reflect on where you feel like a victim.
  • Consider forgiveness for yourself.
  • Seek support if trauma affects you.
  • Notice choices available today.

Your 7-day action plan

  1. Day 1

    Read the first part of Eger's story and note what moves you.

  2. Day 2

    Write about a past experience you usually avoid thinking about.

  3. Day 3

    Identify one area where you think like a victim.

  4. Day 4

    Consider what forgiveness, for yourself or others, could free in you.

  5. Day 5

    Notice the choices available to you today.

  6. Day 6

    If the past weighs heavily, research support or therapy options.

  7. Day 7

    Reflect gently on what you learned about yourself.

Outcomes to expect

What readers who apply this book can realistically take away from it:

  • Hope that healing is possible
  • A new perspective on the past
  • Understanding of forgiveness as freedom
  • Awareness of choices available today

Strengths and limitations

Strengths

  • Powerful, unforgettable memoir
  • Written by a survivor who became a psychologist
  • Valuable distinction between victimization and victimhood
  • Hopeful and compassionate

Limitations

  • Emphasis on choice may feel challenging to some trauma survivors
  • Not a treatment guide
  • Emotionally intense reading

Reflection questions

  1. What past holds you?
  2. Where do you feel trapped?
  3. What would forgiveness free in you?
  4. What choice do you have today?

About the author

Edith Eger

Psychologist, Holocaust survivor and author of The Choice.

Full profile and books
Cover of The Choice by Edith Eger

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Book details (title, author, year) are factual. Everything under the headings above is MindsetProdigy's own editorial analysis and interpretation, written to help you decide whether to read the book and how to apply it. It is not a substitute for reading the book itself. Last updated September 29, 2026.