Having previously read and loved The Choice by Edith Eger, I was excited to read this retelling ‘The Ballerina of Auschwitz’

At 16years old Edith was sent alongside her mother, father and sister to Auschwitz. We learn of the horrors she and her family endured in the camps and a true memoir of survival. Although this book recollection didn’t focus on dancing much, prior to arriving in Auschwitz Edith was an aspiring gymnast and ballerina.
We learn of loss within Egers family alongside her first love Eric. Despite all the events endured and extreme illness by Edith and her sister, both fight for survival upon liberation were both sisters return to their home time and discover their older sisters’ survival still living in their family home.

Despite this being an abridged version of ‘The Choice’ it’s still a very powerful, moving read full of resilience.

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC of this book!

I decided a while back I wouldn't rate nonfiction and memoirs anymore, so I would skip the rating here if I could. My rating here is solely based on the quality of the writing.

I've read a few memoirs from holocaust survivors and I always appreciate their strength in sharing their stories with such detail about the horrors they endured and survived.

According to the author's note, this is a retelling of her memoir "The Choice," geared towards a wider audience. Apparently, most of this book is quite different from "The Choice" and a lot more personal. I haven't read "The Choice" so I can't compare, but this felt indeed very personal and open. I also appreciate the author's intentions in revisiting this story and her message of resilience and hope.

One thing I have to say is that Palestine is mentioned as an escape route Jews considered during the holocaust, and the author provides no thoughts or opinions about her views on Palestine or what's currently happening. I found this a little odd because she inserts current thoughts and opinions about the things she's writing about from her past. So it stands out to me that there's no reflection about or condemnation of the current genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.

Perhaps this retelling was written long before October 7th, but this genocide started long before then and I believe the author would've known that, so, I don't know... In the author's note, the author also mentions a lot of the issues that plague the world today, like suicide, depression, etc., but genocide isn't included in that list, and I would say it's definitely a big issue that's affecting a lot of people.

I feel some type of way about that, but it doesn't take away from how powerful I think this short book was.

I have read lots of this genre of book. I thought it would focus more on the ballerina but there was very little dance related content, I did however like to story, the sisters managing to survive in the face of the horror that was faced during the war.

Compelling read.

The horrors of prison camps in WW2. Told by a warmhearted, strong woman.

Edith and her sister are sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau and from the vey first moments you will be swept up in the most hopeful frame of mind that your protagonist can survive this ordeal. Such strength and hope is rarely seen. Edith you are an inspiration back then and now in your thoughts and actions.

Bless you

It feels weird to rate this book, I'm not a fan of rating true accounts because how can you say that a person's perception or memories of a situation were good or bad.

That being said this was a really moving account of survival against all odds. I would recommend this who wants a personable account.

I have read Dr Eger's other books and found this one equally as powerful and moving. Through her trauma of being a holocaust survivor, she teaches us how to live. Showing us that we always have a choice in how we respond to any situation

"That I was victimised but him not a victim, that I was hurt but not broken, that the should never dies, that meaning and purpose can come deep in the heart of what hurts us the most"

The bravery and the choice of telling her amazing story. It hurts deep to your soul and nearly made me cry. But one of the best books I ever read.

"The Ballerina of Auschwitz" by Edith Eger wasn't a read that I've expected. It's a story of 16 years old Edith sent with her mother and sister to Auschwitz camp. It's a tale of survival and strength required to live and see the end of the WWII. It gives us a portrait of her life before and their family dynamics.
I have an enormous respect for all survivors along with all people who lost their lives during any war or conflict therfore its very hard for me to say that this book seemed to me to be lacking emotions. In my life I've not only read books about surviving the camps but also was talking to many people who experienced it first hand.
Personally I can only give it a 3,5 stars as the retelling wasn't made by any professional writer but it is a still a personal view. It's a quick read and worth a shot.
Thanks to @netgalley for the early copy in exchange for honest review

A wonderfully moving account of life for Jewish women during the holocaust. The author manages to transport the reader into her life so that we feel the pain and suffering of everyone caught up in the mass destruction and killing of innocent people during this time. Yet despite the atrocities and unbelievable agonies she endured, she is able to bring small moments of lightness and joy into the story. The book also tracks the journey of a young teenage girl through to adulthood describing all the emotions that involves. I really enjoyed this.

Edith was starting to enjoy her teenage years with a new love and dreams of their future together. The Nazis however started to restrict the freedoms of Jews more and more until one night when the family was rounded up and taken on a train they knew not where. Herded into a camp groups of people were separated with Edith managing to stay with her sister but her father and mother sent elsewhere.
What follows is a life in Auschwitz, without the complete horror described but disturbing enough.
Although the story has been told by other survivors it remains upsetting that other humans can treat a fellow human being in the way they did and every story is justified.

Raw, emotional, heart breaking are the words that come to mind with this book.

The horrors of the concentration camps in WW2 and Edith's struggle as a teenager to survive along with her sister. The sights and sounds must have been horrendous and hopefully never to be experienced by anyone ever again.

This is a book everyone should read as a lesson on what humans can and would do to one another. Are we really a caring breed?

Thanks go to Edith for having the nerve to share her true story with us.

Deeply moving and horrifying. I have previously read The Choice by Edith Eger and the Ballerina is basically a shorter retelling of this book. It focuses on events during the war rather than throughout the author's life. I would highly recommend both books which bear witness to the horrific events during the war, these stories should always be told.

4.5 stars. The moving and reflective story of Edith, who was taken to Auschwitz with her parents and one of her sisters, as a teenager. How she survived and then her life afterwards, thankfully finding her second sister had survived too. To read any books about people’s experiences, is harrowing but important - what we feel is a tiny fraction of what those who lived it felt. This has been rewritten and includes new material, but should be suitable for young adult readers (I’d say mid teens up).

I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.

A heartbreaking read.
Edie is sent to Auschwitz with her family she survives the death camp. This is a young persons version of the book The Choice by the same author.

I've read so many books about Auschwitz, but this one was so powerful and so intense.
I really liked it, it kept me interested and it was immensely sad.
I can't imagine what these poor people went through.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a tremendous book; one that I'd recommend to everyone. It is sad, raw, hopeful and brave. The format works well for people with short attention spans (like me) as it's not excessively long.

These stories may be devastating, but we must never forget.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC

This book was one of my most heartbreaking and remarkable reads of 2024. Honestly I cried at this story, the Ballerina of Auschwitz is only 192 pages and I read it in one sitting, I couldn’t put it down.

This is a real account of the Author’s experience at Auschwitz and how her and her sister stayed by each others side until they were liberated and finally free. Before she was sent to work in a death camp at only 16, she was a ballerina and gymnast who was going to start training for the Olympics until she was no longer allowed to compete due to her Jewish background. Before the War begins, we learn how rife anti-semitism was before the Nazi's popularised it across Europe. The daily horrors of being a Jewish person during the War were unimaginable, this story is so inspiring and a testament to how strong the human spirit and mind is.

I’d recommend this book 10000 times over.

I cried reading this, what a beautiful and heartbreaking book. Having read Eger’s other works, I knew her story and the horrors she suffered. However, she managed to spin it in a new light and add another layer of hope and pain to her experiences. Stories like this are so incredibly important and I applaud her for being brave enough to tell this story again.