This is the true story of Lala and Gita Sokolov and their incarceration in Auschwitz.

Lale was the tattooist or Tetovierer, labeling all the incoming prisoners for survival. A job that entailed scratching numbers into arms with indelible ink, a mark that would stay with them throughout their lifetime.

Given more freedom than many of his fellow prisoners Lale was able to move about the camp exchanging jewels and money from the dead for food that he would distribute amongst his fellow prisoners.

A charming, amiable young man, Lale was determined to survive, a determination strengthened when he meets Gita, tattooing her identification number as she arrives in camp. It was love at first site and its is a love that will see them both survive the terrible atrocities they witnessed and endured.

Lale is such a wonderful character. Charming, focused, with a steely determination to make the best of his situation for himself but more importantly for his fellow prisoners. The risks he took could have and very nearly cost him his life. The sheer hell that he witnessed would have broken many men, but not Lale, he accepted his lot and got on with it. Perhaps one of the most poignant passages in the novel is of Lale sat tattooing the new arrivals as ash descends on him from the cremation huts, Lale continuing with his job as the dead bodies of those had been gassed were burnt.

Gita, the love of his life, is also determined to survive, working in the administration block living for Sundays when she and Lale can share stolen moments, a small break from the horrors of everyday life.

The descriptions and the imagery perfectly portray the horrors of life in the concentration camps. Morris tells of the brutality of the SS Officers and the guards and also of those prisoners who have the grim task of burning bodies, sorting through the belongings of the dead and in some cases inflicting harm to gain names of troublemakers.

For all the horrors Lale and Gita endured, what shines through is their love for each other, a love that never falters and will see them survive, marry and eventually have a successful and full life in Australia.

Perhaps because of the subject matter I found it hard to criticise the novel. It is not perfect and there are flaws, particularly with some of the flash backs to Lale’s previous life, but these are unimportant when Morris is retelling the true story of an incredible man.

This is not a comfortable read and nor should it be. What the Jews and other minority groups suffered at the hands of the Nazi’s is something the world should never forget. The fact that this is a true story makes it all the more horrific, yet it has glimmers of hope and humour and ultimately love.

Absolutely excellent account of life in the Auschwitz/Birkenau concentration camps during the holocaust.
Even more compelling due to it being based on a true story. The main character, Lale Sokolov, recounted this true story to the author, telling of his experiences and how he met his future wife Gita in the camp. It is truly remarkable how the couple found each other and managed to survive their horrific experiences and be able to pass their story onto the next generation. It is also interesting how people still suffered even after being freed from the camps, returning home was not just a simple option. I firmly believe that the story of the holocaust must be kept alive and spoken about widely in order to prevent similar from happening in the future. This, and similar books, should be required reading in schools.

Having read quite a lot about this book, I received an Advanced Reader Copy with anticipation of a disturbing but enlightening read. Sadly, I felt that the book missed the mark.

I have no doubt at all that Lale Eisenberg had a harrowing time from before his incarceration, through his time in the camps, to his telling of his story and beyond.

Having read the book from cover to cover in one sitting, I have ended up feeling that perhaps the subject shielded his "ghost writer" from much of what he experienced or, I hope less likely, it was decided that the unvarnished truth, in these days of reconciliation, was too unpalatable for the reading public. Whichever of the options is closest to the truth, the book disappointed me as I was hoping to get a better view, from someone who was, uniquely, both a prisoner and someone in a position of some responsibility, of what really went on in the camps that exterminated more than 1,000,000 people and where Mengele was resident. Unfortunately, this book did little to convey to me the unbelievably difficult realities of life and survival in the camps and that I found truly disappointing.

Based on true story and tells of the horrors of the holocaust and the hope of survival against all the odds. The hope this will never happen again as a lesson for mankind. Enjoyed this book was an easy read even though the subject matter would be distressing for some.

This incredible true story left me in tears. I didn't know that a fellow prisoner would be the person to mark men, women and children in the death camps-how do you live with that burden? The Tattooist of Auschwitz shines a light on this man's remarkable and horrifying experiences; it is a tale of survival, love, loss and the human spirit.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Tattooist of Auschwitz, although enjoyed doesn't quite seem to be the right word. The constant state of fear described is exhausting to read as is the ever present terror of being singled out for punishment or death. It beggars belief that something as good and full of joy as falling in love could ever happen there and the fact that it did says an awful lot about the human spirit.

This is the incredible story of a couple who met in Auschwitz, survived their ordeal through a combination of luck and guile and then managed to meet again in the aftermath of the liberation. In Lale's declining years he wanted to have his story told and a light shone again on the atrocities of the Holocaust. It is a worthwhile read and there are aspects of the account of Auschwitz that I had never heard before that were recounted here. Obviously the Holocaust is something we must never forget and a book such as this which is perfect for teen readers will play a valuable part in that. However, I have two negatives to mention. Firstly, there seem to be some parts of the narrative that jar with historical accounts of the camps, such as the easy association of men and women and the ease with which contraband is acquired, stored and traded.. Secondly, the style of writing is a little bland and fails to arouse as much emotion as a story such as this should. Working in schools, I have had the privilege of listening to several ex-prisoners of the camps and the story they tell is an emotionally harrowing one. Lale's story is no different but the author seems strangely detached from her subject, leaving the reader with an unwelcome and puzzling disconnect from the story and its protagonists.
I will be recommending this book to students, but with reservations.

Where to start with this book, it took me a while to get my thoughts in order before I could write a review.  This is based on the true story of Lala & Gita Sokolov.  They met when Lala tattooed the number on her arm on her arrival at Auschwitz.  They along with tens of thousands of others became a number.  Not a name. Not a person.  They were A Number.

Heather spent three years with Lala and his two dogs as he told his story to her.  He needed to do this so that "it would never happen again".  Also it was time for him to tell, he knew he didn't have long before he joined his beloved Gita.  Her death gave him the push he needed.

Lala was part of the German round-up of much-needed workers and he was taken to Auschwitz.  By the use of his charm and a certain amount of luck he managed to get the position of "Tetovierer" the tattooist in the camps of Auschwitz and also nearby Birkenau. This allowed him a little more freedom and also extra food rations, Lala shared all he could with others in the camp.  He managed to barter with civilian workers for food, with the help of Gita and her friends.  All that could be shared out was, help given where possible.  The generosity in a time of great suffering shown by others has a way of repaying itself, and indeed when Lala was in need of help it was there.  He travelled between the two camps and this gave him insights as to what was happening, seeing different things appearing, seeing new people, meeting the new doctor a certain Josef Mengeler.

Through Heather, Lala gave accounts of who he met and his experiences.  Heather has written his story with true emotion, sympathy and understanding.  It is a heart wrenching read, and so it should be, but Lala's character has come through the pages, showing his grim determination that he would survive, he would marry Gita and they would have a future together.

This is an important period in history, one that should never be forgotten or taken lightly.  Heather has done a wonderful job in relating Lala's story. It is an emotional journey, and even now I still feel the emotion as I write this review, a few days after reading the book.  I received this book as an eARC via NetGalley, but I will be buying my own physical copy.  I highly recommend this book to all readers.

Lala's lifetime motto was "If you wake up in the morning, it is a good day."

Number - 34902 - Gita born 1925 died 2003

Number - 32407 - Lala born 1916 died 2006

Deeply moving, empathetic treatment of conditions and experiences at concentration camps during WW II. Written in a very simple but highly effective style. Based on a true story. A must read

This true and heart breaking story tells of the amazing endurance and love of Lale and Gita.  Lale has been assigned the humiliating job of tattooing his fellow Jewish people.  One day, a group of young women come in and as he looks up at a pretty girl, Gita, as he tattoos her, there is an instant attraction.  Lale vows to keep both Gita and himself alive until they are liberated.  As with most books about the Holocaust, there are some horrible and violent scenes described in the story.  One of the things about this book, however, is the there are many examples of kindness sprinkled throughout.  It shows that there was still some humanity, dignity, and hope in the camps.  The author spent three years interviewing Lale before he died.  I am so glad that Lale had a chance to tell his story before it was lost forever.

Blog review will be live on 10/01/2018

I am so stuck on how to review this book due to the subject. All I can say is wow. This is one book I will never forget. The author has done a truly amazing job of telling the story. It's harrowing but also so inspiring telling of how love, courage and a will to live spurred these survivors on.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz is the result of years of interviews between the author, Heather Morris, and Auschwitz-Birkenau survivor Ludwig (Lale) Sokolov. Originally written by Morris as a screenplay, she has now adapted her work to create her debut novel – and what a debut it is! Based upon Lale’s own harrowing story, this is a book that needs to be read and shared, with subject matter that should never be forgotten.

I actually wrote a whole draft review upon finishing this book, but honestly, I just didn’t feel like it did the book justice. I’m actually of the mind now that nothing I write will properly convey my feelings on this book. So, please, stick with me as I try to string some words together.

Lale was 24, a smart, linguistic young man from a Jewish family living in Slovakia. Every family in Slovakia was forced to provide one child over the age of 18 for work detail with the Germans. Lale volunteered himself to save his family, to prevent them from being rounded up into a concentration camp. Not knowing where he was headed or what would face him, Lale left home impeccably dressed as always, ready to face his fate.

This was how Lale found himself crammed into a cattle carriage with other men, headed for Auschwitz. Lale was assigned to the sister camp, Birkeneau and there made a promise to himself that he would survive. His intelligence and charisma meant he was noticed among thousands of others and assigned the role of Tatoweirer, the tattooist – a position which offered him a slightly better life in the camp, but with the traumatic task of marking every prisoner for life with their assigned number. It was through his role as Tatoweirer that Lale set eyes on Gita, a young lady who compounded Lale’s determination to stay alive.

Lale used his relative freedom in the camp to help others, to source and deliver food to keep his fellow prisoners alive, but such actions put him in great danger.

Lale seems like such an incredible man. His attitude, philosophies, and kindness shine through in this novel. I feel that Morris has done a brilliant job of telling this story – I couldn’t put this book down. Despite the horrors within its pages, this is also a tale of love, friendships, and hope. It’s a story that made me stop and think about the individual stories of other prisoners in these camps, what they had to do to stay alive and who they lost along the way. Stories that we will never know but that we should never forget existed.

This is a short novel but it packs a huge punch; the combination of Heather Morris’ storytelling and Lale’s unforgettable true story make this book impossible to put down.

PS I still don’t feel like my words have done this book justice, so just please READ IT!

‘Yes, you wear the Star. Your crime is to be Jewish.’

Finding love as prisoners of Auschwitz! Unheard of! It’s amazing to read this love story take place in such a horror filled setting.

He told his story piecemeal, sometimes slowly, sometimes at bullet-pace and without clear connections between the many, many episodes.
-Authors Note

That was how it read for me, I am not a fan of the writing style. I never felt truly connected to the characters in the story. I felt like I was reading a book report with no in-depth characterization. The story was originally written as a screenplay and I felt the crossover to novel could have been better.

With that being said I was very much engrossed with the story itself and I do recommend reading this great love story.

I’ve read many holocaust stories but this was different in that Lale, the prisoner in Auschwitz, has a role.

I really don’t want to give too much away but this is the story of Lale, a Slovakian Jew who ends up on Auschwitz-Birkenau. His language skills mark him as special and he finds himself with the job of engraving tattoos on other prisoners. One day he engraves numbers on a young girl, and he finds a new purpose and something to keep him going and give him hope in the bleakest of times.

Beautifully and sensitively written. Can’t recommend highly enough.

The story of Lale and Gita is heartening and I sincerely hope that they were happy as they deserved to be.
I liked Lale very much as a person and would have loved to have listened to his experiences, however I can imagine that they were incredibly painful.
I will never understand how these atrocities happened and more disturbingly how humans could inflict so much pain on each other.
The book has so terrible parts that I had to stop reading it a couple of times and walk away from it, but I was eager to get back to their story.
Thanks to NetGalley, Heather Morris and the publishers Zaffre for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The writing in this book might not have been the best thing I've ever read, but the story itself made up for it. Late and Gita lived a heartbreaking life yet they survived the impossible. I was gripped from the get go and read it in one sitting. Incredible and insightful., amazing.

When Lale Sokolov arrives at Auschwitz-Birkenau his only goal is to survive each day. He is determined to leave Auschwitz alive after bearing witness to his friends disappearances early on.

Lale finds himself desperately trying to blend into the background, but his kind, caring and courageous nature makes him stand out to his fellow prisoners.

He is quickly put to work as the camp Tätowierer or tattooist, marking each new prisoner with a unique number. It is a horrific but respected job and Lale is soon in a position of privilege. He is moved into a special block, fed good rations and generally looked after by his commanding Nazi senior officer.

Lale learns quickly, and uses his new position to help and befriend where fellow inmates.

One day whilst on duty Lale is entranced by the beauty of the young woman before him. He must continue to tattoo her against his own wishes if he is to not be punished. He later finds out that she is called Gita, but she will not tell Lale her surname.

Gita promises to tell Lale her surname if and when they both leave Auschwitz.

They both know that the odds of them both leaving alive are poor, but belief is what will get them through the most harrowing and desperate of times.

Alongside belief they have each other.

The tattooist of Auschwitz is a story of love against all the odds. It is beautifully written, desperately sad and at the same time triumphant. A must read WW2 novel.

I honestly don't know where to start with my review for this but i shall say WOW what a truly wonderful book that had me captivated from the very first page. It made me smile and cry and often stopping for a breath and to take stock of what I was reading. I don't want to say anything about the story as I don't want to spoil it for anyone wanting to read it. But I will say you will not be disappointed, a truly remarkable and at times harrowing story of love and determination. I am so jealous of anyone who has this to read for the first time.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz is a book I have heard a lot about recently, even though it isn’t published until January 11. After reading it I understand why it is being so highly praised.

The story of Lale and Gita is all the more remarkable in that it is a true story. Author Heather Morris spent three years with Lale Solokov, listening and documenting his and Gita’s story. Originally, Heather wrote this as a screen play before deciding to turn it into her debut novel.

Today we are all aware of the horrors of Auschwitz-Birkenau, and reading about it from Lale’s perspective of being there really brings the reality and horrors of Auschwitz to life. Late is a very likeable character, and even in the harsh living conditions, with constant fear of death, his generosity and kindness to other prisoners really shines through. His position as a tattooist enables him to see and do things other prisoners can’t, and the horrors he sees are deplorable, he sees things no man should ever have to see. But through out all this he keeps his positivity and belief that he will survive this, and have a life with Gita after the war.

Gita is very young when she enters the camp, and her trust and belief in Lale is what I feel gets her though. Again, she has a kind and caring nature, a commamarederie with her fellow workers and girls who share her hut. Her bravery is also very apparent towards the end. I can’t even imagine what she went through, and I am glad that no one will ever have to face what she, Lale and others did at Auschwitz.

The only thing lacking for me in this book was some emotion and feeling in parts. As I mentioned it was originally written as a screen play rather than a novel and maybe that is why; actors on screen can convey their feelings and emotion.

At the end of the book, Heather Morris includes several photographs of Lale and Gita through the years. I found this very touching, and emotional, to see the people who went through this, it gives the story a more personal touch.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz is a remarkable, if at times disturbing read. It is a story of courage, bravery, horror, love, belief, death, survival but most of all hope and the affirmation the human character and the will to survive. I think that this will be one of the most talked about books of 2018, and for good reason. A slice of history that should never be forgotten and never repeated; a beautiful book of an awful experience.