Review: The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

This beautiful, illuminating tale of hope and courage is based on interviews that were conducted with Holocaust survivor and Auschwitz-Birkenau tattooist Ludwig (Lale) Sokolov—an unforgettable love story in the midst of atrocity.

“The Tattooist of Auschwitz is an extraordinary document, a story about the extremes of human behavior existing side by side: calculated brutality alongside impulsive and selfless acts of love. I find it hard to imagine anyone who would not be drawn in, confronted and moved. I would recommend it unreservedly to anyone, whether they’d read a hundred Holocaust stories or none.”—Graeme Simsion, internationally-bestselling author of The Rosie Project

In April 1942, Lale Sokolov, a Slovakian Jew, is forcibly transported to the concentration camps at Auschwitz-Birkenau. When his captors discover that he speaks several languages, he is put to work as a Tätowierer (the German word for tattooist), tasked with permanently marking his fellow prisoners.

Imprisoned for over two and a half years, Lale witnesses horrific atrocities and barbarism—but also incredible acts of bravery and compassion. Risking his own life, he uses his privileged position to exchange jewels and money from murdered Jews for food to keep his fellow prisoners alive.

One day in July 1942, Lale, prisoner 32407, comforts a trembling young woman waiting in line to have the number 34902 tattooed onto her arm. Her name is Gita, and in that first encounter, Lale vows to somehow survive the camp and marry her.

A vivid, harrowing, and ultimately hopeful re-creation of Lale Sokolov's experiences as the man who tattooed the arms of thousands of prisoners with what would become one of the most potent symbols of the Holocaust, The Tattooist of Auschwitz is also a testament to the endurance of love and humanity under the darkest possible conditions.

Audiobook

Published September 4th 2018 by HarperCollins
Narrator: Richard Armatage
Genre: Historical Fiction

Kristine's Thoughts:

I listened to the audio book of  The Tattooist of Auschwitz. I decided to listen to it because it was one of the best rated histoical fiction reads for 2018 on Goodreads. I have read hundreds of books that take place inside the walls of Auschwitz both fiction and non as well as memoirs and biographies. This was a dark time in history with more stories than my ears will ever hear. Both of my children have visited Auschwitz and were unable to describe fully how the place made them feel. This book is considered fiction even though it was based on true events from interviews with Lale Sokolov.

I find it difficult to rate books like these. When you are dealing with real life events it is hard to put a number on it. I don't want to discount the events and circumstances behind Lale's time in captivity. It is also sometimes hard for me to rate a book when I don't like the narrator which played a huge role in my opinion on this book unfortunately. I really, really did not like how this book was narrated at all. The best way to describe it was a throaty, whisper talk. The throaty whisper was ever prevalent whenever there was dialogue between people. This book was made up of mostly dialogue and conversations between the key players so it was extremely difficult to ignore. When you look at my rating, keep in mind that I feel like the narrator might have played a part in my opinion. I found myself cringing whenever he would narrate a female voice. Oh boy... is that what he actually thinks women sound like?

Without a doubt Lale had a story that is worthy of listening to. Every man, woman and child that passed through those gates does. As the camp tattooist, his life was a little different than some. With it came some privileges and a few less struggles than most. What was so interesting about his story was what he chose to do with those privileges and how he helped others. He was constantly risking his own safety and security to help others in need and he had a knack for getting things done. There is also no denying that the love story between Lale and Gita was heartbreaking and beautiful. Even at the darkest of times in a situation that is unfathomable there was still love and human compassion. It was really at the heart of it.

This book was very simply written making it perfect for young people just getting into the genre and reading about Auschwitz. The horrors of the place are in the book but it wasn't detailed with guts and gore. It was more of a fade to black type of narration. Where the extend of the horror was left to the imagination.

I do feel like the narrator ruined the story for me so I may (in time) go back and read a physical copy of this book. I think I would enjoy it a lot more. My rating is based on the narration and the writing and no way reflects my opinion or minimises the validity of Lale's story or the nightmare he endured. His story was extremely interesting and heartbreaking.

About the Author

I am a Native of New Zealand now resident in Australia, working in a large public hospital in Melbourne. For several years I studied and wrote screenplays, one of which was optioned by an academy award winning Screenwriter in the U.S. In 2003, I was introduced to an elderly gentleman "who might just have a story worth telling". The day I met Lale Sokolov changed my life, as our friendship grew and he embarked on a journey of self scrutiny, entrusting the inner most details of his life during the Holocaust. I originally wrote Lale's story as a screenplay - which ranked high in international competitions - before reshaping it into my debut novel, The Tattooist of Auschwitz.

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