The Choice by Dr. Edith Eva Eger

I’m not sure I can possibly recommend a book more highly than this one. It’s a book I wish I could download into my brain. It’s so full of goodness.

The Choice is a memoir written by Dr. Edith Eger, and it contains the wisdom that only a 90-year old Holocaust survivor and practicing psychologist could share. Her Auschwitz survival story alone is awe-inspiring. I was fascinated by her life after the war, though, too. Dr. Eger does not sugarcoat things. Life after Auschwitz was not easy, and she obviously had a lot to heal from. What she very clearly writes about is making the choice to heal, to forgive, and to grow.

She says, “We cannot choose to have a life free of hurt. But we can choose to be free, to escape the past, no matter what befalls us, and to embrace the possible.” We can’t control the past, but we do have control over our reactions to the past. That is where our power lies. We can choose.

I also love this quote from the book: “I don’t want you to hear my story and say, “My own suffering is less significant.” I want you to hear my story and say, “If she can do it, then so can I!” Dr. Eger is so remarkable that to say she’s inspiring is a huge understatement. This is an incredible resource for people who are grieving and for people who want to make changes in their own lives. It’s recommended reading for every human being.