The Tattooist of Auschwitz

Locations
Call Number: Fiction / Morris, Heather, Adult Book / Fiction / Historical / Morris, Heather
On Shelf At: Malletts Creek Branch

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	Fiction / Morris, Heather	4-week checkout	In transit
Malletts Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Historical / Morris, Heather	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Pittsfield Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Historical / Morris, Heather	4-week checkout	In transit
Traverwood Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Historical / Morris, Heather	4-week checkout	On Hold Shelf
Westgate Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Historical / Morris, Heather	4-week checkout	In transit

"Originally published as The Tattooist of Auschwitz in Australia in 2018 by Bonnier Publishing Australia and in the UK by Bonnier Zaffre"--Title page verso.
Includes "P.S. insights, interviews & more ..." section.
"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 more than 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"--Dust jacket flap.

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

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COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Tattooist of Auschwitz submitted by Beth Manuel on June 21, 2019, 4:36pm This was a fascinating account of a Holocaust Survivor's experience as the tattooist in the Auschwitz Concentration camp. As with many holocaust stories, this one took the reader to unimaginable horrors. Throughout the book, it was evident that the tattooist and the woman who would (spoiler alert) become his wife who he met at the camp. Pictures in the book indicate that they survived. The epilogue lets us know what happened to him and his wife after the war. Knowing they survived made it easier for me to read somehow.

Amazing submitted by amd12 on June 19, 2020, 9:32pm Great look at a hard time in history from a different view point.

Page turner and a quick read. submitted by sushai on June 25, 2020, 8:39pm ** spoiler alert ** I have to say I believe the "true" story is quite fictionalized, maybe the way it has to be for a man who lived through something horrible and then retells it after polishing the edges over time. (Spoiler here: I for one cannot believe that when he is forced to pimp for the Russian army that all the women are delighted to prostitute themselves as described.)
I also think the writing is pretty simplistic, and conversations are unrealistic. (In the real world, how many times do you use the name of the person you are directly speaking to, for example?) I read at the end that the author first wrote this as a movie and shopped it around for many years before turning it into a novel instead. I don't know that it made the transition well.
I know that many people I respect loved this book, so maybe it's me. I just should have known going in that I wouldn't care much for a love story set in a concentration camp.

Highly recommend submitted by ChoateFam on July 24, 2020, 10:55pm Excellent book.

Good book - horrific topic submitted by smgop on July 30, 2020, 9:42pm A fictionalized story incorporating some harsh elements of the concentration camps. A good read - hard, but good.

Difficult & Wonderful Story submitted by LVDS on August 5, 2020, 4:01pm I listened to this on audio. How a young man survived the horrors of concentration camps and met the love of his life. I didn't realize till the end, in the great epilogue, that's its a true story. I highly recommend!

Great story, below average writing submitted by rmbussa on August 2, 2021, 2:03pm The story behind The Tattooist of Auschwitz is heart-wrenching and reveals the horrors of concentration camps. However, this book was originally written to be a screenplay and you can unfortunately tell. The characters are not well developed in the story and you can tell the author wanted an actor to give them shape, but her writing could not.

Worth a read submitted by delaflynn on August 29, 2021, 3:09am In the midst of a concentration camp (one of the worst at that), it's beautiful to read of someone who finds the love of his life there. Lale was a lucky man as well as a good one. Although some would criticise him for working for the Nazis by taking the position as the tatooist of the incoming prisoners, he actually was able to help a number of people because he was in such a privileged position. There are many more stories of people who became kapos to save their own lives and became as brutal to their fellow prisoners (if not, at times, more so) than their brutal Nazi captors. This story is definitely worth a read if even just to witness the triumph of a family over such appalling adversity.

These are real people with real stories, and you want to know. submitted by MadPiggy on June 27, 2022, 6:45pm There exists a myriad of fiction/non-fiction literature around World War stories, particularly the Holocaust. This is based on a true story and is a beautiful story of love, strength and resilience. I quite like reading the historical genre, and stories about WW2 especially enthrall me. I enjoyed the tone, voice and language employed by the author. It's not difficult at all, but very apt and vivid as is befitting the nature of the story.

I did think the story was wrapped up or rushed towards the end though - and I felt robbed of a justified closure, with the story and characters and my investment in the narrative.

Overall, would recommend for a one-time read.

Hmmmmm submitted by vclinton on August 21, 2022, 8:58pm I genuinely wanted to enjoy this book so much more than I did. It felt very young adultish, which is not a tone that befits the topic in an adult book.

A True Story! submitted by asangtani on July 8, 2023, 11:18am In this true story told mostly from the third person limited perspective of Lale, a Jewish Slovak is tasked with tattooing all the prisoners at Auschwitz. It's mostly a story of how Lale manages to set up complex scheme of bartering with the Nazis to gain extra food that he shares with people and a little bit his love story. The beginning of the book is somewhat slow and the love story is somewhat rushed, but the story itself is undeniably good. I'd agree it's a one-time read.

Incredible Story (based on a true story) submitted by emtuft on August 3, 2023, 9:09pm Such an incredible story. I appreciated that as historical fiction, it was based off of one specific person’s life rather than real events and fictional characters. However, I think this could’ve been such a beautiful biography or autobiography. My favorite part was the afterword by Gary Sokolov.

Language and difficult content as it takes place during the holocaust primarily at a concentration camp

incredible story & book submitted by zaraz on August 20, 2023, 12:40pm this book, which is based on a true story, is incredible. it's extremely hard to read at times but is so so worth it. it brought tears to my eyes. I highly recommend to anyone.