THE BALLERINA OF AUSCHWITZ: YOUNG ADULT EDITION OF THE CHOICE, by Dr. Edith Eva Eger, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, Oct. 1, 2024, Hardcover, $18.99 (young adult)
Holocaust survivor and renowned psychologist Dr. Edith Eva Eger shares her harrowing experiences in The Ballerina of Auschwitz.
Edie is a talented dancer and a skilled gymnast with hopes of making the Olympic team. Between her rigorous training and her struggle to find her place in a family where she’s the daughter “with brains but no looks,” Edie’s too busy to dwell on the state of the world. But life in Hungary in 1943 is dangerous for a Jewish girl.
Just as Edie falls in love for the first time, Europe collapses into war, and Edie’s family is forced onto a train bound for the Auschwitz concentration camp. Even in those darkest of moments, Edie’s beloved, Eric, kindles hope. “I’ll never forget your eyes,” he tells her through the slats of the cattle car. Auschwitz is horrifying beyond belief, yet through starvation and unthinkable terrors, dreams of Eric sustain Edie. Against all odds, Edie and her sister Magda survive, thanks to their sisterhood and sheer grit.
Edie returns home filled with grief and guilt. Survival feels more like a burden than a gift—until Edie recognizes that she has a choice. She can’t change the past, but she can choose how to live and even to love again. —Synopsis provided by Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Dr. Edith Eva Eger originally wrote her memoir, The Choice, for adults. The Ballerina of Auschwitz is for young adults. It’s not an easy read. But it’s an edifying one. Eger doesn’t shy away from atrocities, though there are moments of hope, as well.
Written in first person, The Ballerina of Auschwitz feels immediate — almost like you’re standing in the room observing things as they happen.
The Ballerina of Auschwitz is one of those books that sits with you. It puts world events — both past and present — in perspective. It makes them real in a way you can’t ignore. It’s an excellent read.
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