Book Review | Rating – 5/5 | Genre – Historical Fiction
Moving from young adult mystery to something a lot heavier than what I’ve consumed recently. Now, I’m not really sure what pulled me towards this one, I remember seeing it on the shelves a fair amount, but I normally avoid any sort of story based around the war, entirely through how emotional I get from the subject. Yet this time it looked like a story that I wanted to understand more, therefore, I gave it a shot.
Based on real events, The Tattooist of Auschwitz is one of the most life-affirming, courageous, unforgettable and human stories of the Holocaust.
In April1942, Lale Sokolov wa transported by catttle train to Auschwitz- Birkenau, imprisoned, as were millions of others, for being born Jewish. He was given the task of tattoing numbers onto his fellow victims’arm to create what would become one of the most potent symbols of the Holocaust.
Waiting in line, shaking with terror, was a young woman called Gita. For Lale – full of life, even in this place of death – it was love at first sight. And he was determined that not only would he survive, but that Gita would too.
What did I think?
Its a bit harder to simply bullet point where I actually enjoyed this book, as its not really a sense of enjoyment that I felt when reading. I can say that the book was really interesting and it is definitely a story that should be read by everyone, whether they have an interest in WW2 or want a love story based around these events.
It is beautifully and carefully written, highlighting the two lovers set against the background of the one of the most horrific settings in history. It is this that very much cements the love story in real-life. There is never a moment that I thought this would be an actual happy story, always on edge, hoping that the fate of these two characters and the others around them survive.
From the very beginning it is mentioned that the story is taken from the accounts of a real survivor from the holocaust with certain elements embellished to show the attrocities of the concentration camps. I found it beautifully intwined the real story together with historical fact, ensuring that it wasn’t just a love story, but something that portrayed just what these people went through.
Overall…
It is a book that I would recommend anyone give a chance, especially young readers, it is a great way to understand just what happened to those that were placed in those horrific camps. The story is oddly heart-warming while surviving as a stark reminder as to how people’s lives were changed over the course of a few years at the hands of monsters.
The Next Big Opinion 
Leave a Reply