Paperback edition
Blurbs:
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 more than 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
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Book ID
Title : The Tattooist of Auschwitz
Author : Heather Morris
Published : 2018
Publisher :
Genre : Memoir
Thanks to the Pandemic, I have quite a lot of free time in hand and been in strikes reading 3 books within a week.
I saw the books a long time ago in Goodreads recommendation but always hesitant to purchase it because it is considerably thinner than other 'memoir' or historical fiction related to World War II. Hell, I give it try because the paperback edition is a lot cheaper now.
The Tattooist of Auschwitz receives a considerably high rating in Goodreads 4.26 on 03 Sept 2020. Apparently, the Author met the protagonist directly and has been touched by the story then decide to write it. She originally wrote the life story of Lale Sokolov as a screenplay then decide to reshape it as a debut novel.
Lale Sokolov is a nice gentleman from Slovakia. He loves his mother so much and from her mother, he learns how to treat a woman especially.
In April 1942, he decided to save his family to work for Germany. During that time, the Slovakia government has instructed that every boy above 18 years olds should volunteer to work for Germany. Since he wanted to save his parents and sisters, he decided to board the train to Prague then later, transported to the concentration camp in Auschwitz.
Did not knowing what lay ahead, Lale tried to be positive thinking. Even after he saw the camp, he swore he will make it alive.
Lale personality is basically charming and smart. He explored what his surrounding and analyze it that landed him a job as Tattooist in the camp. He civilized with his Germany guard.
The Tattooist job craves an identification number in a prisoner's hand. Because he can speak many languages and smartly, the Germany guard likes him. One day he promoted as the main tattooist and have an assistant, Leon.
Struggling with his inner battle, Lale feels because of his privilege compared to other prisoners, Lale feels guilty. But instead of quit and give the job to another person, Lale swore to make his position to help others.
One day, when he began tattoo the prisoners, he met with the most beautiful girl he ever met that drawn him and made him finally understand the term of falling in love.
But the girl refused to reveal her name. He only knew her ID number. With the help of his German Guard, he wrote a letter to the girl, ask her to meet her on Sunday. By the way, Sunday is off day for the prisoner. During that day, the prisoner can rest all day after 6 days working like a madman. But actually, the prisoner didn't really know what day is going because they lost the sense of time. Maybe only Lale have the privilege to know what date and day because every morning he shall report to the administration office.
Staying alive in a concentration camp is almost impossible, moreover falling in love with a fellow prisoner. But Lale makes the best out of it. His mind only wandering about Gita, the girl's name.
Gita and her girlfriends are working in Canada. A building where they collect the prisoner's possession before they stripped and change to prisoners. Lale asked them to take bit by bit valuable things to exchange it with sausage, chocolate, or medicine.
Lale knew a local person who happened to work in the construction site of the camp. With them, he traded jewelry and money with foods. At night, he will divide the small amount of food to those who needed the most.
But live in a concentration camp is dealing with death, every day. Nothing comes easy even when he has a privilege. Almost death, beaten, betrayed is the common story for prisoners in Auschwitz.
I think the love story in the camps that miraculously doable is the strong point of this book. It is a fresh theme that I never found it across many books about WWII I read. Secondly, Lale personality, how he treats women very nicely, and how his kind heart battles his life for other's safety is the one that brings the reader's faith in humanity restored.
It is a poignant story but as I mentioned earlier it is supposedly written as a screenplay, then it feels like a screenplay. The Author heavily ace on the conversation yet struggling to create the depth of the ambiance or atmosphere. The depth of the character is not developed enough that I only understand about Lale being charming. I don't know why maybe the Author didn't want to explore too much so it won't out of the storyline.
It is good but heck, I'd prefer other titles to start the love of WWII-story related like the boy in the striped pajamas, and of course Anna Frank. And for the historical fiction, there are never-ending lists such as All the Light we cannot see, Nightingale, The War I Finally Won, and many more.
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