I’m not exactly sure this qualifies as a meet-cute, but it is a beautiful story. Also a little weird that my first romance read is set in the Holocaust…
The Tattooist of Auschwitz
Series: The Tattooist of Auschwitz #1
Author: Heather Morris
Pages: 262
Format: Paperback
Published: January 11, 2018
Publisher: Harper
View on Goodreads
Date Completed: November 6, 2024
My rating: 
Thoughts
For some reason unknown to me, I’ve always been fascinated by the Holocaust. Not by World War II in general – the Holocaust specifically. It may have something to do with the fact that no matter how much I read, there always seems to be something to learn from it. Most of all, I find it horrifying yet intriguing that ordinary humans can commit such atrocities of extraordinary evil.
This book recently came onto my radar and, while browsing the historical fiction shelf at a Maui Friends of the Library location, I came across it. So I grabbed it and went to check out. When ringing me up, the woman behind the counter gushed over the book and how beautiful it was. I love that. I love when I’m buying a book and a stranger tells me how much they enjoyed it. It honestly makes me all the more excited to dig into the book.
Let me pause a moment and say that my aim in these reviews is to keep politics out of them. So I won’t draw any connections between the Holocaust and what the recent US election could mean for our future. I won’t point out that those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. And of course I won’t point out that I’m afraid that is a path we are on yet again… a path that leads some to see fellow citizens as the “enemy from within” that “should be very easily handled by, if necessary, the National Guard, or if really necessary, by the military.” And who think that Hitler “did some good things,” overlooking the evil things. And who think we need “German generals… Hitler’s generals” leading that military…
I won’t say any of that. What I will say is that, as Yoda so astutely put it, hate leads to suffering. That’s what led to the Holocaust.
But even with all the hate and suffering, it is amazing to thing that people could still find love. And the love described in this book is based on the true story of Ludwig (Lale) Sokolov’s time in Auschwitz-Birkenau and finding the love of his life.
Lale is singled out by the Tätowierer (the German word for tattooist) to be his apprentice. Part of this is because Lale speaks multiple languages. But also because the Tätowierer knows this will save Lale’s life. Once Lale becomes the main Tätowierer (I’ll let you figure out how he got the promotion), he uses this newfound status to get extra food for people, keeping them fed, healthy, and alive as long as he’s able.
It is during this time as Tätowierer that Lale meets his love, Gita. They have to be very careful how and when the meet, but with some bribery, Lale and Gita are able to build an amazing relationship, even within the confines of Hell itself.
I understand that some reviewers don’t like some of the liberties the author took in writing this book. But for me, I understand it is a work of historical fiction. It even says “fiction” on the back cover next to the barcode. I don’t know which parts are the true parts, which parts are inspired by the truth, and which parts are completely fictionalized. But what I do know is that it’s a beautiful story told very well by Heather Morris.
I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars. It is a very quick read (I read it over the course of one day). It is well-written, humorous, infuriating, and of course, heartbreaking. At some point, I will pick up Morris’s two follow-up books, Cilka’s Journey and Three Sisters.
