The Tattooist of Auschwitz: A Novel

There are many books about the Holocaust or Shoah and many specifically about Auschwitz, the largest of the Nazi concentration camps. I’ve read a few like: “Fatelessness” by Imre Kertesz, “Schindler’s Ark” by Thomas Keneally, “And the Violins Stopped Playing” by Alexander Ramati, “Return to Auschwitz” by Kitty Hart and others. All are great reads but not easy because of the subject matter. Other survivors such as Primo Levi, Viktor Frankl and Elie Wiesel also wrote memoirs of their terrible experiences in Auschwitz I first became aware of the Holocaust , through reading “The Odessa File” by Frederick Forsyth, I guess I’d have been around twelve or thirteen. Before then, the Second World War had been playing with toy soldiers on the carpet, Rommel’s Afrika Corps against the British Eighth Army or decorating Spitfires and Messerschmidts to hang from the ceiling in Battle of Britain dogfights. After learning about the Holocaust, “playing” World War II seemed less appealing. I visited Auschwitz and Birkenau in 2004, I passed under the famous entrance sign declaring falsely “Arbeit Macht Frei”. What struck me about Birkenau was the scale of the camp, I hadn’t realised it was so big, when I’d read of the prisoners crammed into their barracks. I find it sad there are some today who still deny the holocaust ever happened.The Tattooist of Auschwitz is based on a true story; Lale Sokolov, a Slovakian Jew who finds himself transported to Auschwitz. Gifted with languages : Russian, German, French, Hungarian, Polish and Slovak, and after a near brush with death because of typhus, Lale lands a job as the Tätowierer (tattooist), responsible for tattooing all the new arrivals to Auschwitz. Lale puts his head down, attempting to keep to the rhythm of his job. Don’t look at the faces. He takes the paper and makes the number… Lale is focused on survival, so he takes the job with its perks of extra rations and freer movement around the camp. He is secretly able to buy extra food and medicines with jewels and money found by the girls in “Canada” ( a barracks where the women worked sorting through the confiscated clothes of the new arrivals). Lale is generous and shares what he can with other inmates. The spectre of death is continually present, stalking the camp, Lale seems to have as many lives as a cat. This is not just a tale of survival but also of love, Lale falls for a young Slovakian Jew, Gita, whose arm he tattooed. He vows to marry her when the war and its horrors are over. I found the setting quite familiar from having read other narratives set in Auschwitz. Lale meets the Roma families, whose stories are rarely told in the many holocaust narratives. The Roma were assigned to his block, at first he is wary, Jews and Roma had little contact in the outside world, but “within days Lale has been made an honorary Romany“. Lale is distraught when they are sent to the ovens and only his colleague covering for him, prevents Mengele taking Lale away to a similar fate. Lale looks at Leon and points to the ash now falling all around them. “They emptied the Gypsy Camp last night.” It is an extraordinary story of survival against the odds. We meet Rudolf Hoess and the creepy Dr Mengele but Lale’s main contact with the Nazis is through his guard, Stefan Baretski, a Nazi of Romanian origin, who is young and callous, and who murders inmates with impunity. I was gripped by the story, so much so that I missed my metro stop not once but twice, this has never happened to me before whilst reading a book on Kindle. The story is heart-wrenchingly sad at times, as might be expected considering the subject matter, but the horrors though seen occasionally are not related as graphically as in some other Auschwitz books. This is a welcome addition to the large library of Holocaust books. (less)

Review of The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris: ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ Lale is a Slovakian Jew who is transported and forced to work at the concentration camps at Auschwitz-Birkenau. He is assigned a job that puts him in a position of privilege and gives him some special treatment but also forces him to permanently mark his fellow prisoners. He has to live with this burden of guilt and others perceiving him as a Nazi collaborator but he keeps in mind that he’s doing it to survive and if not him, someone else will do the job. Now in the position of Tattooer, Lale finds ways to manipulate opportunities that arise just so he can stay alive. It’s also in this position as the Tattooer where he meets prisoner 34902, Gita. He finds ways to sneak glances at her or spend several minutes with her. Leading up to the liberation of the concentration camps, Gita and Lale are separated. We know that in the end, Gita and Lale find each other but it is the story of their meeting and living through the atrocities of the concentration camps that is the real story here. Their love that developed and finding that love in such dark places. While this is categorized as historical fiction, it is based on a true story. It’s hard to believe that some of Lale’s experiences actually happened while he was imprisoned. It is a beautiful love story and a quick read but I felt like much of it was romanticized. Even still, it’s inspiring and serves as a reminder that you can always find hope and love in the darkest of times. I will say that I was not satisfied with the ending and I was a bit disappointed. The events leading up to it were so intense and descriptive yet the ending was anti-climactic but I suppose I cannot fault the author on that if in fact, this is how their reunion went. That said, if you’re looking for a historical novel about the events of the Holocaust, this is not for you. But if you’re looking for an inspirational story centered around hope, survival, and love, you’ve found the one.

Did anyone not receive this book and feel that the quality is really cheap? Like this book feels fake? I have not started reading it yet tho I heard it's good.. just that the quality of the book really make me don't feel like reading it.

The book has so much memories that one went through during Holocaust. Innocent lives lost, losing loved ones, found love amid survival, heartbreaks, torture, trust and faith, anything you could think of... Highly recommended!

Good read

The best book I have read in years ..makes you feel so humble.. Why is the world so full of evil people to treat fellow mankind with such inhuman cruelty and think they can get away with it!? ..opens your eyes!....

Considering "The Tattooist of Auschwitz" is a harrowing true story, it was truly compelling and utterly unputdownable. It's without a doubt one of only a few books that will stay with me a very long time, it's that unforgettable and one that keeps you thinking about the story well after you've put it down. Lale Sokolov is a well dressed, charming ladies' man - however he is also a Jew. On arrival at Auschwitz in 1942 he immediately stands out to his fellow prisoners who save his life when he takes ill. In the camp he is put to work in the privileged position of the 'Tatowierer' - the tattooist - to mark his fellow prisoners as they arrive in camp. One of them is a girl called Gita who captures his heart immediately. Given a reason to survive Lale uses his position for the greater good even through struggles and extreme suffering, with the hope of one day being with Gita forever, outside of the camp. Although upsetting, saddening and at times quite unimaginable, there is such a beautiful love story at the heart of the tale that you can't help smiling at. I immediately took to all the real life characters, they were excellently portrayed whether good or bad and could imagine the whole true scenario with such clarity. The author Heather Morris took several years to write Lale's story in her book with the input of the main protagonist himself and even becoming a very good friend with him. She has ultimately written a story Lale would be very proud of and which tells of his and Gita's tale of wanting to be together through one of the worst and sickening periods of our history with the utmost care and consideration. Compassionately written with sensitivity, its emotive, thought provoking, awe inspiring and certainly puts your own everyday problems into perspective. This book wasn't as brutal and as hard hitting as some holocaust books I've read although equally saddening, therefore I feel this could be read by slightly younger readers without offending or upsetting. I really can't recommend this stunning book highly enough, it a definite must read for 2018 and it gets a fantastic 5 stars for a heart wrenching unforgettable read.