Audiobook Review – The Tattooist of Auschwitz

Title: The Tattooist of Auschwitz

Author: Heather Morris / Narrated by Richard Armitage

Genre: Historical Fiction

Goodreads Rating: 4.26

My Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Source: Borrow Box

Synopsis:

A tale based on interviews that were conducted with Holocaust survivor and Auschwitz-Birkenau tattooist Ludwig (Lale) Sokolov.

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 over 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.

My Review:

This book has been sat on my shelf for a while now and I am kicking myself for not getting to it sooner. I love historical fiction but stories based around WW2 are some of my favourites, Knowing that this was based on true events and real people’s stories I had a feeling it was going to be emotional.

Lale was someone you couldn’t help but love. How he carried himself and looked out for others was endearing and I was willing him to survive. He saw so much but it was his cleverness that helped him to survive even the most dire of circumstances.

His story with Gita was beautifully told and the agony they went through, being separated at different times must of been agony. I can’t begin to imagine how it must of felt not knowing whether that day would be your last and it makes me feel thankful for the simple pleasures in life that so many have been denied.

I don’t feel that any words I say can honestly do this book justice. Everything about it was perfectly written, especially the author’s notes and foreword. If you love historical fiction and have not read this one yet then stop what you are doing and get a copy, you won’t regret it.