#BookReview (5 Stars) – The Tattooist of Auschwitz, by Heather Morris @BonnierZaffre #Review

Blurb:

For readers of Schindler’s List, The Man Who Broke into Auschwitz and The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas comes a heart-breaking story of the very best of humanity in the very worst of circumstances.

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.

My Review:

The Tattooist of Auschwitz is a very powerful and emotional read. At times it is overwhelmingly harrowing, yet at the same time there is always a hint of hope.

This is a very emotive story of love and friendship in the most unlikely of places. The horror of human brutality entwined with inspirational acts of bravery and human kindness.

I couldn’t put this book down and ended up reading it in one three hour sitting last night. I couldn’t bring myself to stop reading. I felt guilty even thinking about escaping the story to go back to my own comfortable life, and had to see it through to the end with the characters.

I had tears in my eyes while reading this, and by the time I reached the Author’s Note and additional information I was properly crying.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz comes very highly recommended by me.

5 Stars

Where to find this book:

Goodreads

Amazon UK

Amazon US

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