Book Review: The Ballerina of Auschwitz
Abstract
Dr. Edith Eger’s young adult memoir, The Ballerina of Auschwitz, is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the transformative power of choosing how we respond to life’s darkest moments. As a sixteen-year-old Jewish ballerina, Edith was torn from her home in Hungary and sent to Auschwitz, where she endured unimaginable horrors, including being forced to dance for Josef Mengele on the night her parents were sent to the gas chambers. Yet this harrowing beginning is only part of her story. Edith’s journey from concentration camp survivor to renowned psychologist offers readers profound insights into trauma, healing, and the freedom that comes from within.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Memory
Trauma
and Testimony
and Commemoration
Polish-Jewish Holocaust Memory Studies
Publication details
- Journal / source
- ScholarsArchive (Brigham Young University)
- Publication date
- 1 January 2026