The Tattooist of Auschwitz

Wow, it's nice to have read a book that really lived up to the hype surrounding it (I've not always had the best of luck with those!)!

This book had everything from sadness, heartbreak, bravery, despair, and hope.

It was truly horrific reading about the atrocities faced by the prisoners of Auschwitz...and it makes you wonder how something so horrific could've been allowed to happen. One of the most awful crimes against to have occured.

I know Lale was the tattooist and he felt really guilty about it, but I think he did what he had to do in order to survive. I admired his bravery in trying to help his friends in whatever way he could.

I say the same for Cilka, who I can't believe was charged with being a collaborator and sent to Siberia for sleeping with the ‘enemy'! And for 15 years! Like she actually had a choice in the matter! It was either that or ending up dead, since I don't think the commander's ego would've been able to handle being turned down! Like one horror camp wasn't enough, she had to go through it all again!

Going back to Lale and Gita, it's admirable that they were able to build a life for themselves afterwards despite the horrific trauma they were put through in Auschwitz. I also love that they were able to find love in amongst all that daily terror, when never knowing if they would be surviving from one day to next.

I have loved reading this book and would definitely recommend it!

The incredible story of Lale Sokolov, The Tattooist of Auschwitz. Unfortunately I don't think the author does it justice. I just feels like a superficial skimming of the story with hardly any emotion, any sense of the terror and the hardships they must have suffered. Like I said, the story is incredible and it needs to be known but I think it could have been told better.

What a gut wrenching story that had me feeling all the emotions.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz chronicles Lale's journey as he is imprisoned by Germans at the concentration camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau and forced to tattoo his fellow prisoners. It is during this time that he meets Gita and falls in love with her vowing to marry and start a life with her after they are free.

Over his two and a half years he witnesses horrific crimes against humanity and barbarianism. Each day is a fight to stay alive. Additionally Lale risks his life by helping the other prisoners by smuggling extra rations and medicine in exchange for jewels and money.

His story is one of resilience and survival against all odds.

I see the low reviews for this book and I get it the writing isn't the most spectacular writing. But for some reason it just didn't bother me and I failed to take notice because I was so wrapped up in Lale's story.

I felt a rush of emotions from fear, anxiety, hope,anguish, and frustration. I continually pondered how truly evil and inhumane a person must be to strip a persons dignity, autonomy and identity from them for the racial purity. To perform sadistic medical experiments and sterilize them. To randomly shoot and kill people just because you see them as inferior to you. I was gobsmacked.

I hoped against hope that Lale could make good on his promise to Gita and they would get the future they deserve.

I found beauty in the reality that despite so much pain and so much horror there was still compassion and a willingness to help each other survive and pull through.

So, no I didn't notice the plain basic writing and lack of description and flourish. I was to transfixed by the recounting of Lale's story and how he found freedom. Unlike others I didn't struggle to feel anything for the characters or connect with the story I felt all the things.

It's truly unfortunate this recounting of real life events didn't work for some but it definitely worked for me.