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Book details

The choice

Kathy Clark - Author

Jakob’s disclosure puts his family at risk; his imprisonment at Auschwitz and belief that Ivan has abandoned him shape his drive for revenge. After liberation, a revelation about Ivan challenges Jakob’s understanding of what happened.

More about this book

"Thirteen-year-old Hendrik and his family have hidden their true identity as Jews and are living as Catholics in Budapest during WWII. One day, in a burst of loyalty, Hendrik reveals that his name is in fact Jakob and he is Jewish. It is a choice with drastic consequences. It not only puts his whole family in danger but it also severs his ties with his best friend Ivan, whose father is a high-ranking military official. Throughout the horrific months that follow in the Auschwitz concentration camp, it is Jakob's passion for revenge against Ivan that fuels his will to survive. However, unknown to Jakob, Ivan had made a choice of his own on that fateful day--a choice that changes everything."--

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Book Analysis

At a Glance

Discover

Friendship· ExplainedTrust· ExplainedMisunderstanding· Explained

Consider

Violence and harmEmotional intensityViolence

Personalised Fit

Beyond the Cover

friendshiptrustmisunderstanding

FictionIllustrated book

Themes in Context

Jakob’s view of Ivan

Jakob comes to believe Ivan has abandoned him, then learns that Ivan made a choice of his own.Exploratory / explanatory

How the book presents it: The plot’s later revelation makes Jakob’s understanding of his friend a key part of the story’s changing perspective.

Talk about: How does learning about Ivan’s choice affect what Jakob believed?

Why It May Be Worth Reading

The friendship and the choices both boys make give the wartime story a personal focus, while Jakob’s changed understanding invites reflection on what people may not know about one another.

What Deserves Attention

The story includes danger to a Jewish family, imprisonment in Auschwitz and a character’s desire for revenge.

A Conversation Worth Having

What does Jakob believe Ivan has done, and what might Jakob not yet know about Ivan’s choice?

Reading Approach

Consider reading together in stages, pausing after Jakob’s assumptions about Ivan and again after the later revelation. Let the reader decide how much to discuss the Holocaust material as it arises.

Confidence & Basis

Theme indicators describe how the book presents a topic; they are not a verdict on the whole book or your family's values. Confidence reflects how much book-specific material was checked. Only part of the book information was available, so some details remain unconfirmed.

What remains unconfirmed

Jakob’s view of Ivan: The nature of Ivan’s choice and its consequences are not specified.

The Choice - Kathy Clark - Google Books

Limited information

Checked: 1 October 2026.

Relevant to: Jakob’s view of Ivan

The choice by Kathy Clark | Open Library