Blurb:

I tattooed a number on her arm. She tattooed her name on my heart.

In 1942, Lale Sokolov arrived in Auschwitz-Birkenau. He was given the job of tattooing the prisoners marked for survival – scratching numbers into his fellow victims’ arms in indelible ink to create what would become one of the most potent symbols of the Holocaust.

Waiting in line to be tattooed, terrified and shaking, was a young girl. For Lale – a dandy, a jack-the-lad, a bit of a chancer – it was love at first sight. And he was determined not only to survive himself, but to ensure this woman, Gita, did, too.

So begins one of the most life-affirming, courageous, unforgettable and human stories of the Holocaust: the love story of the tattooist of Auschwitz.

Review:

I’ve wanted to read The Tattooist Of Auschwitz for a while, and was spurred on by the release of the recent adaptation, and I’m so glad I read it. Ashamedly, I’m rather uneducated about World War II and the Holocaust except for basic facts and this book is particularly eye opening. Heather Morris has a really immersive way of writing and it often felt like I was right there with the prisoners, which had a really profound emotional effect on me.

When I started reading, although it was clear that The Tattooist Of Auschwitz was immaculately researched, I had no idea that it was based on a real account of someone’s experiences. However, I really appreciate that the author has described Lale in such clear detail – both physically and emotionally – so that I really felt like I could get to know him and follow his story. I became really invested in what happened to Lale and desperately hoped he would have the ending he deserved.

I understand that the author has written further books to add to this story, and tell us more about the characters who have a smaller role in The Tattooist Of Auschwitz. I’d be really interested to read these in future.

It’s also worth mentioning that Richard Armitage does a fantastic job of adding gravity to the Audible version of the book and bringing the characters to life.

The Tattooist Of Auschwitz is available from Amazon.