The Tattooist of Auschwitz : A Novel
Description:
The #1 International Bestseller & New York Times Bestseller This beautiful, illuminating tale of hope and courage is based on interviews that were conducted with Holocaust survivor and Auschwitz-Birkenau tattooist Ludwig (Lale) Sokolov—an unforgettable love story in the midst of atrocity. “The Tattooist of Auschwitz is an extraordinary document, a story about the extremes of human behavior existing side by side: calculated brutality alongside impulsive and selfless acts of love. I find it hard to imagine anyone who would not be drawn in, confronted and moved. I would recommend it unreservedly to anyone, whether they’d read a hundred Holocaust stories or none.”—Graeme Simsion, internationally-bestselling author of The Rosie Project 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. A vivid, harrowing, and ultimately hopeful re-creation of Lale Sokolov's experiences as the man who tattooed the arms of thousands of prisoners with what would become one of the most potent symbols of the Holocaust, The Tattooist of Auschwitz is also a testament to the endurance of love and humanity under the darkest possible conditions.
Reviews:
(6 months ago) |
23 Mar, 2025
I would like to have given this book a higher rating, but then I found out how many creative liberties had been taken. The Auschwitz Memorial Research Centre fact-checked this book and found glaring discrepancies. I encourage everyone who has read this book to also read this article: https://viewer.joomag.com/memoria-en-no-14-11-2018/0766192001543510530/p6?short
If this book had been marketed as a fictional story build around real events I would have been happy giving this book 4/5 because the story was excellent, but as it was marketed at a real story with just a few aesthetic changes I can’t help but feel lied to by the author.
The author was clearly going for what would sell rather than what was accurate.
|
Add comment
Challenge:
Read Around Oceania Challenge
Country:
New Zealand
New Zealand
Language:
EN
Genre:
Historical fiction
More books from New Zealand
More books from Read Around Oceania Challenge