Book review: The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

Well hello to you my reader chums! I've been wanting to read The Tattooist of Auschwitz for a while now that when I finally got my hands on it, I couldn't wait to flick through the novel. I love history and the whole war era as I find it all incredibly interesting and heartbreaking. It's a powerful thing learning about the individuals who were held at Auschwitz for all those years and this book shows just that.

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Book review: The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

I finished this book in a few sittings as it was too incredible and powerful to read that I couldn't put it down. If you're looking for a new read, I'd highly recommend the book - and here are my overall thoughts.

Plotline 

Set in 1942, Lale Sokolov arrived in Auschwitz- Birkenau, a concentration camp in Poland. After a while there, he was given the job of the tattooist, tattooing the prisoners on their arrival - marking them by number and taking away their identity. The tattoos soon became one of the most potent symbols of the Holocaust. Lale would tattoo every person that came through the door from young women and men to the elderly.

One of the people waiting to be tattooed was a frightened young girl named Gita. For Lale, it was love at first sight and he was determined to survive and ensure Gita did to so they could build a life together. Their courageous and unforgettable story then begins and the book shares their love and the lengths it goes, even when faced with the horrors of the Holocaust. It's a story that shows true love is a real thing and you can't help but feel every emotion with them.

Characters and relationships

Like in any book, the characters are everything, and especially in this novel, you really feel every single emotion as you flick through the pages. You experience true friendships, relationships, and how characters bond in the hardest of times.

The main characters you learn to love are undoubtedly Lale and Gita. Lale proves to us that true love exists and you should go to the ends of the Earth for the person you fall for. Their love story starts simple and as the story goes on, it grows with every month they are in the camp. You learn about how they both felt in the camp, their deep feelings for each other, and that they longed for their future together.

The other characters are just as interesting and inspiring to read about, as you learn about Gita's block mates, the men that come and go in Lale's radius, and the people he shares his living accommodation with. The author of this book sheds light on each person that's mentioned and makes them just as important as the main two characters. Seeing how the characters help each other when they're in a desperate situation, shows the true power of humanity.

Book review: The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

Setting

The setting is as heartbreaking and horrible as you can imagine. Set during the Holocaust and in the depth of life in a concentration camp, you really feel the emotion and hardship of what each victim goes through there. From the starvation, the punishments, the beatings, and the amount of death that occurred, it's an unbelievable and horrific place that no human should have endured. However, through the heartbreaking elements, you also learn all about the power of friendship and what people do to help each other. Lale, for example, uses his job as a way to help people, by smuggling in extra food and medicine when it's needed for his friends.

Thoughts of the book

Overall, I can't even express to you how much I loved this book. It offers a true insight into the horrors of the Holocaust, shares a powerful love story that should be told in years to come, and is an addictive read. I didn't want to put it down until I knew what happened in the end. And, as it was based on a true story of real survivors, it makes the book even more powerful.

Ending

The ending is positive, happy, and everything I wanted it to be as I flicked through the pages that describes the horrors which went on during the Holocaust. It leaves you feeling inspired and content that there were some happy endings to one of history's terrifying events.

I hope you enjoyed this book review. Have you read this novel?

Thank you for reading <3


2 comments

  1. Such a good review! I'm going to Krakow in December and I've had this book recommended to read before I go, but I was unsure. I'm definitely going to pick it up. Thanks for sharing xx

    Hannah | luxuryblush

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for the lovely comment, glad you enjoyed the review. Hope you like the book! xx

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