The Tattooist of Auschwitz

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.