The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
Product Details
Web ID: 6560513Like No Other Holocaust Novel I've Ever Read
A novel pulled from the heart, soul, and memories of an actual tattooist of Auschwitz and Birkenau concentration camps. Heather Morris writes in the voice of the late-Lale Solokov. An extraordinary and gripping journey of a man who descends into the pits of inhumanity and struggles to keep his humanity—and grips an impossible love. TATTOIST OF AUSCHWITZ is like no other Holocaust story I’ve ever read. Were it not for the verified history, it would seem unbelievable. It proves the maxim: Truth is stranger than fiction. Zachor. As with all stories steeped in pain and the testimonies of tiny glimmers of humanity in unthinkable inhumanity, this story should be shared and remembered. HIGHLY recommended for readers of WWII historical fiction. Please be sure to read all the backmatter with the author’s notes and Lale’s son’s notes. Absolutely fascinating. NOTE: graphic descriptions and language
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
A Love Story Set in Hell
I'm not exactly sure this qualifies as a meet-cute, but it is a beautiful story. Also a little weird that my first romance read is set in the Holocaust... For some reason unknown to me, I've always been fascinated by the Holocaust. Not by World War II in general - the Holocaust specifically. It may have something to do with the fact that no matter how much I read, there always seems to be something to learn from it. Most of all, I find it horrifying yet intriguing that ordinary humans can commit such atrocities of extraordinary evil. This book recently came onto my radar and, while browsing the historical fiction shelf at a Maui Friends of the Library location, I came across it. So I grabbed it and went to check out. When ringing me up, the woman behind the counter gushed over the book and how beautiful it was. I love that. I love when I'm buying a book and a stranger tells me how much they enjoyed it. It honestly makes me all the more excited to dig into the book. Let me pause a moment and say that my aim in these reviews is to keep politics out of them. So I won't draw any connections between the Holocaust and what the recent US election could mean for our future. I won't point out that those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. And of course I won't point out that I'm afraid that is a path we are on yet again... a path that leads some to see fellow citizens as the "enemy from within" that "should be very easily handled by, if necessary, the National Guard, or if really necessary, by the military." And who think that Hitler "did some good things," overlooking the evil things. And who think we need "German generals... Hitler's generals" leading that military... I won't say any of that. What I will say is that, as Yoda so astutely put it, hate leads to suffering. That's what led to the Holocaust. But even with all the hate and suffering, it is amazing to thing that people could still find love. And the love described in this book is based on the true story of Ludwig (Lale) Sokolov's time in Auschwitz-Birkenau and finding the love of his life. Lale is singled out by the Tätowierer (the German word for tattooist) to be his apprentice. Part of this is because Lale speaks multiple languages. But also because the Tätowierer knows this will save Lale's life. Once Lale becomes the main Tätowierer (I'll let you figure out how he got the promotion), he uses this newfound status to get extra food for people, keeping them fed, healthy, and alive as long as he's able. It is during this time as Tätowierer that Lale meets his love, Gita. They have to be very careful how and when the meet, but with some bribery, Lale and Gita are able to build an amazing relationship, even within the confines of Hell itself. I understand that some reviewers don't like some of the liberties the author took in writing this book. But for me, I understand it is a work of historical fiction. It even says "fiction" on the back cover next to the barcode. I don't know which parts are the true parts, which parts are inspired by the truth, and which parts are completely fictionalized. But what I do know is that it's a beautiful story told very well by Heather Morris. I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars. It is a very quick read (I read it over the course of one day). It is well-written, humorous, infuriating, and of course, heartbreaking. At some point, I will pick up Morris's two follow-up books, Cilka's Journey and Three Sisters.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Excellent book
This was such a great retelling of the horrors of Hitler’s reign. I loved the entire book. Especially the author notes. That this was a retelling of an actual people really puts it in perspective. Ever since I was a child I’ve had a curiosity about the Holocaust. My family is from Germany just 2 generations ago, so I’ve always held a little guilt in my heart. Well done. This era should never be forgotten.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
3 stars
THE TATTOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ by Heather Morris Based the lives of holocaust survivors, Lale and Gita Sokolov, this is a heart wrenching yet inspiring story of human spirit; courage, sacrifice, love, perseverance and determination. This is a relatively short book given the subject matter. I wish the prose had more depth. Lale and Gita’s story was originally written as a screenplay and this book reads a bit like one. Heavy on the dialogue and telling of events rather than showing. I found the Afterward, written by their son Gary, to be more touching and held more emotion than the book itself. Perhaps the movie does their experiences and their love more justice? I hope so. This is the first book in a series and I don’t feel a need to read the next one. I liked it, but I didn’t love it. Rating: 3/5 ⭐️
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
A tale of human survival, the will to endure
Even after reading this book, it is difficult to imagine the horrors of Auschwitz, despite Morris' depiction of Lale Sokolov's first hand account of his time spent there. But, in this important book, we are presented with a man's life lived in that most renowned concentration camp and how he chose to navigate its machine gun fire and its whimsical brutality to survive it and live his life beyond its walls with the woman that he loved, Gita. This is not easy reading but I do feel that, despite its relating of Auschwitz's horrors, it has been watered down. It is presented as a novel in that there is no authorial discussion of Lale's life, like there was by Laura Hillenbrand in Unbroken of Louis Zamperini, and as a result, the way that it has been told is with a detached air, almost like an observer is watching and then relating what they see. It reads like a story that has been told to someone else who is transcribing it before releasing it into the world which is, of course, exactly what has happened; however, because of this, I don't think that I was as involved in the reading of it as I could have been. It moved me but not to tears and yet, I have read other books about the Holocaust where I have sobbed. That being said, there is no doubt that this is an important book. To have a first hand account of a survivor's time in such a notorious place is rare - and no explanation is needed as to the reason why this is. Lale is a likeable character, whose charm, luck and wile cause him to survive his experience. What is also clear is the humanity of the man and this is what I will keenly take away from his story - that despite the odds, he tried to spread a little light in a very, very dark place, whether this was through his generosity to others or his general demeanour, his contriteness to those to whom he administered a tattoo or in his love for Gita which drives him to endure: it is a warm story, for the most part. Shadows are cast by loss and indiscriminate violence as well as the inclusion of infamous characters like Mengele but these are not the substance of the book. Here, humanity and love win.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Incredibly Powerful
I’ve had The Tattooist of Auschwitz on my TBR list for awhile, knowing I needed to be in the right frame of mind to read it. I finally felt like the time was right and I was right in my assumptions. This was a tough read. I felt such a tremendous ache when I read this story. I’ve read my fair share of WWII historical fiction, but this story being rooted in truth made it all the more heartbreaking. No matter what I read and learn about WWII I will never be able to wrap my head around the absolute evil that prevailed during this time in our tainted history, especially the horrors that happened amid the barbed wire in the concentration camps. How one person can harbor so much hatred for a fellow human being is incomprehensible to me, but to then to pass that hatred onto others who blindly follow this parasite of a person makes the entire situation all the more unbelievable. What saddens me the most is the fact that these misguided feelings and sentiments still rage on in our world today. When will we as a society learn? How many more stories need to be told before we stand and do something to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again? The fact that this is a debut novel for author Heather Morris is astounding as the narrative sounds like it’s been written by a seasoned veteran, and not someone just starting out on their literary journey! The writing is captivating in its depth, putting you in Auschwitz with Lale, Gita, and all of the other prisoners, which is made all the more terrifying when you realize this account is based on a true story. Lale and Gita existed, and had to endure the horrors they did in Auschwitz together, yet their story is also a ray of hope amid such death and depravity, proving that true love can endure even in the worst conditions humanly possible. Talk about giving hope! As soon as I read their ending I smiled, but then had to sit the book down, and really put the whole story into perspective. Can you imagine the bond that they must’ve felt after the war ended? To endure everything they did and to make it out alive must’ve made every other fight and life event so trivial. I bet they cherished every moment they had together. I know I would have. I was so engrossed in The Tattooist of Auschwitz that I finished it within hours of picking it up, and immediately started reading the second book, Cilka’s Journey, despite the fact that it was very, very early in the morning. I plan on reading the trilogy back to back to get the full picture from different perspectives. May we never forget what these brave individuals fought for, and may we never see these things come to pass again. Thank you Heather for telling Lale and Gita’s harrowing story.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Great Book
👍🏻
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Highly Recommend for any Historical Fiction Fans
Heather Morris takes a personal approach telling a true story. The story is educating, saddening, yet a must read. It tells a first person story of her parents who were subjected to the Holocaust and camps. The two characters, Lale and Gita, are first hand with the most famous characters such as Dr. Mengele, the angel of death. I could not put the book down, learning of the past and another's story is breathtaking. Engaging and accurate. Hard to comprehend and learn what humans were capable of inflicting on others.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com