I hadn’t touched nonfiction for months, but The Choice: Embrace the Possible (2017, Scribner) was a brilliant reintroduction. Author Dr. Edith Eger shares her profound story of surviving internment at Auschwitz as a young woman and her resulting life-long journey to heal from that trauma.
The book reads as if it’s written from two perspectives: Dr. Eger as the in-the-moment narrator of her life, sharing her experiences straightforwardly, and Dr. Eger presently, reflecting on her life in hindsight. I liked this duality because Dr. Eger is so obviously humbled by both her accomplishments and her mistakes. Her self-reflection demonstrates that she absorbed life lessons while enduring the trials of her life, and continues to at more than 90 years old.
Aptly named “The Choice,” Dr. Eger gives special attention to the critical decisions in her life, whether they afforded an outcome of joy or unhappiness. Her resounding message to readers is to make the choices that free us — from fear, self-shame, guilt, or countless other ailments that impede our ability to live fully.
I really enjoyed this book because, honestly, Dr. Eger is very likable. She doesn’t shadow her mistakes by puffing up the exemplary choices she’s made in life. Her humility and self-reflection carry the book, while the telling of her survival from Auschwitz cement it as a relevant and important autobiography. It’s an equally relevant selection for readers seeking the self-improvement genre or a moving memoir.
[I was not paid to write my honest review. Links are not affiliate.]
Sheila Loesch 