Author: Edith Eger
Genre: Adult Non-Fiction
Reviewed by: Orla
Surviving the holocaust has been a blessing as well as a curse for the author. Immediate moments of relief and gratitude of being found don’t last for long. She was discovered withering with books in a forest near a concentration camp. Survivors guilt and horrendous flashbacks have plagued her mind for a lifetime. It has been painful for her to go back to that dark place and share her experience of deprivation and torture.
She has suffered post-traumatic stress disorder which can be triggered by anything associated with her past. Despite this she has made the best of her life. It has been challenging at times but she married, had children and went on to study psychology. She has helped console others who are also holocaust survivors.
Her mother armed her with good advice when they were rounded up and herded to a concentration camp ‘Listen. We don’t know where we’re going. We don’t know what’s going to happen. Just remember, no one can take away from you what you’ve put in your mind†In the face of such an adverse situation this proved to be vital advice to keep her outlook strong. She was separated from her parents shortly after this advice was given.
This book reminds me of Viktor E Frankl’s book ‘Man’s Search for Meaning’ He believed to survive the hardship of World War 2 you needed to be mentally strong. When everything is being stripped away tormenters can take everything but they can’t take your mind if you don’t let them. Both books are inspirational and prove that you can survive the unimaginable if you keep your wits about you.
If you enjoyed this book you may like to check out or reserve the following books on BorrowBox The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Chilka’s Journey, The Librarian of Auschwitz, The Boy who followed his Father into Auschwitz.
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