One of the most important stories ever told
Whatever review I write here will never be able to do this book justice. I genuinely think this is one of the most important books to have been written, and the true events held within it are so powerful, utterly heartbreaking and devastating are something that everyone should read.
Lale Sokolov was one of the early volunteers to give himself up as a member of his family to go to Auschwitz, in the hope that he would save the rest of his family. He is transported to Auschwitz and is soon selected by chance (and by his saviour) to become the tattooist of both Auschwitz and Birkenau camps. A gentle kind man, he deeply feels the hurt and condemnation of every inked number he marks upon the new intakes in the concentration camp.
It is in such a desolate environment that Lale meets the love of his life: Gita. He was taken by her immediately upon branding her skin. It is this love story that is the real heart of the book. And one that stays with you long after reading.
I have to be completely honest, although the tattoos of Auschwitz are infamous, I have paid little thought to the person that had done so many of them. I didn’t even realise that it was a fellow prisoner who was forced to brand so many other victims (much to my shame).
This book makes you really think about the individuals that endured such torture, and not to look at it just a whole. Lale was given ‘special’ treatment as the tattooist in the form of separate living quarters and extra food rations. As such he was treated as an outsider by his fellow men and seen by some as a collaborator. What they didn’t realise is that he stole this extra food to give to others more needy and exchanged stolen goods for medicine and bribes to the guards to help others and spend time with his beloved.
He meets some of the most horrifying people that we have heard of from this era– Mengele being one of them. We get to hear about this abhorrent man and how his disregard for human life affected some of the people Lale knew personally.
We also learn of people who were punished following their imprisonment. Again this wasn’t something I had even thought much about, but broke my heart to learn. For example, Cilka: who was sentenced to 15 years after the war for being seen as a collaborator when in fact she was a plaything for a Nazi guard and broken to her core. Doing anything she can to survive and she was punished and judged for it.
I could go on and on about this book. A story of one incredible man whose love and faith in Gita does not diminish no matter what hardship, cruelty & barbarism it endures.
This is one book that shows the real juxtapositions of war; in amongst the brutality and devastation there still lies real love, humanity and kindness. It is not an easy read, I cried several times. Yet this is such an important part of history that should never be forgotten. We need to honour the millions that suffered by educating ourselves with books like this and keeping this period of time in our memories.
Lale Sokolov was one of the early volunteers to give himself up as a member of his family to go to Auschwitz, in the hope that he would save the rest of his family. He is transported to Auschwitz and is soon selected by chance (and by his saviour) to become the tattooist of both Auschwitz and Birkenau camps. A gentle kind man, he deeply feels the hurt and condemnation of every inked number he marks upon the new intakes in the concentration camp.
It is in such a desolate environment that Lale meets the love of his life: Gita. He was taken by her immediately upon branding her skin. It is this love story that is the real heart of the book. And one that stays with you long after reading.
I have to be completely honest, although the tattoos of Auschwitz are infamous, I have paid little thought to the person that had done so many of them. I didn’t even realise that it was a fellow prisoner who was forced to brand so many other victims (much to my shame).
This book makes you really think about the individuals that endured such torture, and not to look at it just a whole. Lale was given ‘special’ treatment as the tattooist in the form of separate living quarters and extra food rations. As such he was treated as an outsider by his fellow men and seen by some as a collaborator. What they didn’t realise is that he stole this extra food to give to others more needy and exchanged stolen goods for medicine and bribes to the guards to help others and spend time with his beloved.
He meets some of the most horrifying people that we have heard of from this era– Mengele being one of them. We get to hear about this abhorrent man and how his disregard for human life affected some of the people Lale knew personally.
We also learn of people who were punished following their imprisonment. Again this wasn’t something I had even thought much about, but broke my heart to learn. For example, Cilka: who was sentenced to 15 years after the war for being seen as a collaborator when in fact she was a plaything for a Nazi guard and broken to her core. Doing anything she can to survive and she was punished and judged for it.
I could go on and on about this book. A story of one incredible man whose love and faith in Gita does not diminish no matter what hardship, cruelty & barbarism it endures.
This is one book that shows the real juxtapositions of war; in amongst the brutality and devastation there still lies real love, humanity and kindness. It is not an easy read, I cried several times. Yet this is such an important part of history that should never be forgotten. We need to honour the millions that suffered by educating ourselves with books like this and keeping this period of time in our memories.