The #1 International Bestseller & New York Times Bestseller
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 … 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.
more
A bit unrealistic.
I learned even more about the terrible times of WWII, amazing how some of the people endured such cruelty. Very inspirational
I fell in love with Lale as he struggled to do what he had to, to get through the most horrific circumstances.
Wow! I had put off reading this one because I thought it was going to be depressing and hard to read. While it was at times depressing, overall it was a fascinating read. A quick read – I read it in one day.
This is a love story that starts in Auschwitz. It tells the true story of Lale and Gita. Lale is the tattooist because he can speak several languages. While performing his job one day, he falls in love with Gita. He vows to her that they will get out of the camp alive. He is very enterprising and finds ways to ensure that they both (and some of her friends) stay alive.
This is a beautifully written love story during the horrors of Auschwitz.
Couldn’t put it down- a page turner. Heartbreaking.
Fascinating story. I loved reading the true material at the end of the book.
So many books about this subject are too emotionally charge and are difficult to get through. This book told of the horrors through the eyes of a man who was not suffering as much as we know so many did. This was the only book on the concentration camps that I have read that has a happy ending.
Lest we forget how hope and faith and love can get us through the most horrific life experiences.
One I couldn’t get out of my mind.After reading it I have several books about the war and treatment of Jews.
It felt wonderful to read about the unbelievable courage of people facing the most horrific challenges to life and the hope they clung to
Could not put it down. How a love story can evolve in the midst of tragedy. Beautiful.
A book you bang put down Read about the life of the tattoo man in prison during the war. Tragic story of making decisions to stay alive. I had to get the sequel as soon as I finished.
(3.5 / 5)
Set mostly in the concentration camp of Birkenau, Lale Eisenberg (later Lale Sokolov) tattoos numbers onto incoming prisoners for his captors. While tattooing a young woman, he finds himself captivated by her. He uses his position of tattooist, which is part of the political department in the camp, as well as some other savvy enterprises, to get extra food to help keep his fellow prisoners, including Gita, the woman who has stolen his heart. This book is based on a true story.
First, let me make sure to stress that the book may be inspired by a true story, but it is not at all meant to be an accurate depiction of life in Auschwitz II-Birkenau. Various statements surrounding the book may make it seem like it is (including several pages of notes at the back of the book), but it’s not. (You can do a Google search to learn more about this, if you wish.) After doing some research, I could plainly see some of the inaccuracies, especially since I read a good amount of Holocaust literature in my high school days, while others were specific enough I wouldn’t have guessed at them. However, while reading the book, I didn’t notice, and even after researching, it doesn’t sour the book for me (much). If you choose to read it though, do so with this understanding.
For whatever reason, I have long been fascinated by stories of the Holocaust. I think that is the main reason that I did appreciate this book for what it was. Lale often tells others to keep their heads down and do as their told, and they might live another day, especially when first entering the camp. The longer he’s there, the more willing he is to bend some rules and basically game the system, to the benefit of himself and several other prisoners. The friendship between Gita and her friends is heartwarming, as they do everything they can to help each other in times of need, both physically and emotionally. The way these characters attempt to keep their humanity during such inhuman conditions is what this book is all about.
The issue with this book, besides that mentioned above, mostly revolves around the writing. It was originally written as a screenplay, then adapted to be a novel. They are very different types of writing, and it looks like Morris had no experience as a prose-writer before adapting her screenplay. The writing is stilted and shallow, and while it made for a fast read (especially for such a short book), there wasn’t nearly the depth of emotion one would expect in a book of this subject matter.
The book isn’t bad, by any means, so as long as you go into it with the understanding that this is very much a fictionalized view of the most famous and deadly concentration camps in the Holocaust, I would recommend this book to those who read historical fiction, especially of this nature.
Historical fiction of another side of Concentration Camps—working for the Nazis, but not by choice. A true story which the author explains in the audible edition epilogue.
Life of a tattooist in the German Camps during WW 2 about what people did to survive living in the camps
It told a story of courage of two young Jewish adults. How they meet, survived and even fell in love in the worst place ,Auschwitz. When everyone else around them perished , they were able to endure the pain and starvation. You were always pulling for them to survive and have a life together.
Excellent historical read!
Such a terrible time in human history…how they lived it was so tragic
Lale Sokolov is transported in April 192 to a concentration camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau. Initially Lale doesn’t realize what is going to happen when they are taken and forced to work but unlike the others Lale has a advantage, he speaks several languages and is given the job as Tatowierer (tattooist) who tattoos the numbers into the other prisoners. Lale sees Gita and she is the one bright spot in his dreary life that has him living each day wondering if it will be his last. Lale regrets tattooing her number into her arm but he makes a vow to himself that he will do everything he can to keep her fed, safe and when all is said and done marry her. Two and a half years later, Lale finds himself witnessing unimaginable things that will haunt him for the rest of his life, but he is willing to try and break free if it will give him a chance to find Gita.
This was hard to listen too. I listened to the audiobook but the story itself was written so well you envisioned everything which at times made me put the story down for a pause to regroup before picking back up. Harrowing story that was filled with heartbreak, hope, and inspiration. This is one that wont be forgotten by me anytime soon.
The Tattooist of Auschwitz is based on the real-life experiences of Holocaust survivor Ludwig (Lale) Sokolov, with fictional elements that the author took the liberty of adding.There is no doubt that Lale’s story is one of heartache, courage, survival and love; however, I couldn’t help but feel disappointed. This book had the potential to be great, but I felt that the author really missed the mark on this one.
The Tattooist of Auschwitz is Heather Morris’ debut novel. I feel as though Morris really did the story an injustice. She made Auschwitz feel more like a minor inconvenience rather than the horrific atrocity that it was. The author completely downplayed the dehumanization, starvation and the overall deplorable conditions experienced by the victims of concentration camps. I wanted to love this story but I felt very detached reading it, as it failed to evoke any emotion for me and felt that it lacked depth.
I will give this book 3.5 stars, based solely on the fact that it’s a good story, despite the fact that it was poorly executed.
Rainey Day Book Reviews: Mia Grace