The Tattooist of Auschwitz

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.

Brilliantly moving and harrowing story. So sad how people can be so evil but also so sacrificial. What a mix of humanity.

When a story is true there is no need to exaggerate or to pile up the horrors higher and deeper than they were. Fiction writers tend to forget that. They go for horror upon horror, disgust layered on dismay and they write to shock. Somehow ‘The Tattooist of Auschwitz’ is more impactful because it doesn’t focus on the unrelenting evil of Auschwitz-Birkenau, it hints at things rather than waving them in the readers face and most importantly it looks to record the good in people, the power of love and unlikely friendships, and the joy of beating the system in tiny everyday tiny ways. It’s a story of survival where the reader may well find they remember the good things, the sweet gestures and kind words of people living in conditions most can only imagine more than the horrors. Lale Sokolov was a volunteer. He set off for the work camp in his best suit when all Jewish families in Slovakia were told to send a young adult to do war work. He went in 1942 – perhaps at a time when it wasn’t widely known what was going on in the camps – and during his time in Auschwitz-Birkenau he witnessed first-hand the expansion of the camp and it’s evolution from work-camp to death-camp. If he was busy, it was because new inmates were arriving to be worked to death or killed in the gas chambers. Lale’s talent was for languages and for reading people. As a result of speaking several languages, he landed a job as the assistant (and later the main) tattooist in the camp, meeting and marking the new arrivals, one of whom – Gita - he instantly fell in love with. The book is about people being starved, exploited, manipulated and experimented on. It’s also about unstructured killings by camp guards who shot randomly at passing prisoners to relieve their own boredom. Lale strikes up relationships with fellow prisoners, with local people who are paid to work at the camp, and even with the guards. His privileged position as the tattooist gives him access to the outside world, swapping booty from the sorting rooms where prisoners go through the luggage of new arrivers for food and other supplies. He becomes an honorary member of a gypsy community who briefly form a sort of family for him before the camp controllers send them to die. He witnesses gassing and cremations and his testimony remains calm and unsensationalised. In short he does what he can to survive and to help the woman he loves and those around him. There are other survivor stories from Auschwitz but few inmates survived as long as Lale and Gita and much of that success is down to his ducking and diving, knowing the right people, and doing the right things – even when they’re not what the guards would consider appropriate. It’s a fascinating book and one that’s understandably getting a lot of attention. Is it the best book ever written about the Holocaust? No, of course not, but it adds to the important legacy of those who passed through the camps as well as those who never found their way home again. It’s well worth a read.

**No Spoilers** Given the subject matter, I am sure that you can understand that this book may not be quite so straightforward to review. With most moments of trauma, it is not until after they are over and you have time to reflect on what has just taken place, that you truly feel it’s full impact. And that is how I am left feeling about this book. It is not until I had read through to the very last page (in about four sittings, for me) and put the book down, that I sat back and was able to view it all, in its entirety. I believe that I will be reflecting on this book over the next few days and I do not feel the usual urge, to immediately start my next read. This book has left me wanting time to digest it fully and give it time to settle. The next book that I have lined up is Cilka’s journey and I think that reading it directly after this book, is a good thing, as the start of her story, is still fresh in my mind. Don’t get me wrong, it is not that I am left traumatised by the level of inhumanity, after 25 years in the Police in London, my thresholds are set at quite a high level. No, the telling of the story and the undeniable trauma are done in such a way, that they are not overly dramatised or sensationalised. They are presented in a measured way, that takes nothing from their barbarity but gives the reader a clearer understanding of the fact that to many witnesses, participants and hapless bystanders, these events were day to day occurrences that you had to find a way to deal with. Even if it meant blocking it out, stifling a response or sweeping it under the emotional carpet. In some way, that makes it all the more chilling. The writing style is excellent, the characters are well formed and believable, the dialogue and pace throughout cannot be faulted. In terms of style, it was a pleasure to read. Very easy to follow, never any need to reread or go back a page to make sure of anything. Again, given the nature of the story, that is a feat in itself. I am left neither dismayed at humanity or uplifted by the survival of the main protagonists. The overall feeling is a general one of numbness and mild melancholy. That is probably me, sweeping it under my emotional carpet. (Not much room left under there, to be fair.) I would certainly recommend this book and I for one, think that the Tattooist picked the right lady for the job of telling his story. I do not receive any payment or free goods for writing these reviews. I am just happy to share my views on my purchases with fellow like minded Amazonians in the hope that you may find it helpful.

Its hard to say you have enjoyed a book when it is about such a harrowing time in history, If you have read the boy in the stripped pyjamas or watched Schindler's list or anything regarding this subject then you should already know these books are difficult in their subject matter, but read them we must not just for titillation but the fact this awful event took place. I have been to Auschwitz and I have to say up front it changed me, walking through those gates I could feel the pain and anguish, this is not me been fanciful in my words but truth, to stand in the shadows of such a harrowing place made me count my blessings and thank god that I am alive and well. Heather Morris is a new author for me but this book caught my eye one for the subject matter and no I am not ghoulish or glorify in human suffering but at the same time I like reading about the past after all it is what defines us what makes us what molds us into the people we are good or bad. For me Heather and her narrative, horrific account of peoples lives so tragically and horrifically impacted by the events of the dreadful stain on our time the holocaust, she seems to have beautifully written a piece of history put together so us as the reader can truly acknowledge the price and the pain of these poor people paid in such a horrific circumstances. The book is poignant, very sad and extremely moving at times but at the same time you are filled with courage and determination as these people's ferocious and tenacious desire to survive against all odds. This account has sensitivity and has been put together with a lot of great thought and care. It’s a great read! I highly recommend it. Thank You Heather Morris for an astonishing read, one that will stay with me for a long time, I think books like this do tend to stay with you long after you have closed the final page, it makes you question what is important and what is not, when we whinge about how awful our lives are, we should be thanking god for the fact we still have one when so so many were denied it.

Book Review - ‘The Tattooist of Auschwitz’ by Heather Morris ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “So many stories. So many brave people.” This is one of those books that you can’t simply read, it reaches in and grabs your soul and immerses you completely. Holocaust books are never easy reads, and they shouldn’t be, but it is a time in our history we should educate ourselves about and learn from. I find myself fascinated with the question of how people can commit such atrocities against other human beings in the name of faith or any kind of beliefs, but never any closer to figuring out the answer. “I am a survivor.” Lale is just 24 years old when the Germans order each Jewish family in his village to send a member of their family aged 18 or over to work for them. His older brother volunteers, but Lale insists he should be the one to go as, unlike his brother, he has no wife or children. Despite obvious apprehension at where he will go and what will happen, Lale is pleased that his actions will be saving his family from being sent to a prison camp and keeping them safe. When he first arrives at Auschwitz-Birkenau he is put to work building more huts but notices that there are some prisoners with privileges and vows to get one of the positions that will offer him the greatest chance of survival. Shortly after he becomes acquainted with Pepan, the Tätowierer, who offers him a job as his apprentice. His new position offers protection and benefits such as a bed to himself and more food to eat. Showing his generous nature, Lale immediately shares his extra rations with other prisoners. Later he begins to smuggle in food and other items, at huge risk to himself, that he also shares. When reading about these kindnesses I couldn’t help but wonder how many lives he saved. How many people and their parents are alive today because he saved their grandparent in the camp? Lale may have had regrets about the job he was forced to do to survive but it can’t be denied how much good he did that wasn’t obligated to. I myself think taking the job was the right thing. Yes, he could be viewed as conspiring with the enemy, but someone had to do the job and he made sure to use his position to benefit many others. I empathise with the prisoners who took jobs to gain extra rations or a better position in the camp. They were fighting for survival every second of the day and I blame no one who found a way to make that fight a little easier. “I am in shit but won’t drown, my life is too beautiful to die.” Lale’s positive outlook is apparent from the start of the story. He chooses to look for the good and for beauty in any and every circumstance. I am sure that choosing to keep his positivity despite being in such a frightening and dire situation helped him to survive and enabled him to encourage others to do the same. One thing that no doubt helped him see a brighter side to life during his time in the camp was meeting and falling in love with Gita. This story of how these two ordinary people found love and hope in the darkest of places was beautiful and shows us how if a love is true absolutely nothing can stand in its way. The couple share clandestine meetings as much as possible while in the camp and vow to marry and live their lives together once they are free. “If you wake up in the morning, it’s a good day.” I would have liked to hear more about Lale’s life after the war than was included in the book, but we do find out a little about his life after the war, his struggles and triumphs, and what he was like as a parent in a small Afterward from his son. The Authors Notes were a wonderful insight into how she came to tell his story and the man he was. It was interesting to see the pictures of him and some of the historical pictures relevant to his time in the camp. I think they were a great way to end the book and gave the reader a greater connection to Lale. “The Tattooist of Auschwitz is a story of two ordinary people, living in an extraordinary time.” This is a story full of opposing things: humanity and inhumanity, love and hate, and hope and despair. It is a reminder of the horrors people experienced, but also of their ferocious will to survive and how they found happiness, friendship, and sometimes even love, during the most barbaric and odious circumstances. It is important we are reminded of the stories of individuals as hearing the huge numbers makes it impersonal and incomprehensible. When we hear Lale’s story we can picture what he and those he knew suffered we relate to it in a real way that helps us ensure it never happens again. The Tattooist of Auschwitz is a mesmerising, poignant, haunting, powerful, harrowing and beautiful novel. I can’t recommend it highly enough. “To save one, is to save the world.”

Compelling read.

While drinking unpalatable coffee, 87-year-old Holocaust survivor, Lale Sokolov (born Ludwig Eisenberg), started to share his memories with Heather Morris, and he continued to do so two or three times every week for the next two and a half years. Inspired by his recollections, Heather set about writing ‘The Tattooist of Auschwitz’ which has gone on to sell more than 5 million copies. In 1942, Germany makes an empty promise to Jewish families in Slovakia: volunteer the labour of one able-bodied, young male and the rest of the family will be safe. Twenty-six-year-old Lale volunteers and finds himself on a cattle truck heading for the concentration camps at Auschwitz-Birkenau. After a brief stint in construction, his linguistic skills are recognised and he is promoted to ‘Tätowierer’. Daily arrivals from German-occupied Europe are sorted. Those deemed fit enough to work are tattooed and permitted to live a bit longer. Lale’s adoration of fellow Slovakian, Gita Furman, begins as he tattoos a number on her arm. A romance ensues and he promises that they will survive the camps and be together… The extent to which a person will go to survive is stretched horrifically here. But survival is not just about self-preservation; risks and sacrifices are also made for the benefit of others. Amidst the torture and humiliation, we see hope, love, resilience, courage and great dignity. Life in the camps is testament to what the human body and mind can endure. Details of the violence are restrained and the gore omitted. This has the advantage of widening the readership to younger adults. Though, at the same time, it does leave Heather open to the criticism that her portrayal of the depravity and horror in the camps is over-sanitised. It’s easy to feel disgust and anger towards the Germans, particularly Sadistic SS doctor, Josef Mengele, because of their actions. Connecting with the prisoners, even Lale and Gita, isn’t as easy, as the exploration of their emotions is limited. I appreciate that Heather wanted to stay faithful to Lale’s account of events, but she could have allowed herself more artistic license. The author’s notes and the photographs of Lale and Gita add a great deal to the book. Heather’s respect for Lale and her dedication to telling his story is quite touching. There are no distracting ‘poetic’ passages; Heather communicates what she has to say simply and maintains a fast pace throughout her writing. I would recommend to anybody with the slightest interest in historical fiction or love stories to read this novel. If I came away with anything, it was the gratitude that I’ll never understand what the prisoners at Auschwitz-Birkenau went through. "If you wake up in the morning, it's a good day." ~ Lale Sokolov