Reader reviews

• beth.clarke

  (4/5)

  I love historical fiction involving WW2. The Tattooist of Auschwitz was based on a true story making it more riveting. I couldn't wait to read more each night as the story unfolded. I'd classify this one as popular fiction rather than literary fiction - perfectly enjoyable plot, but not very deep with style or language.
• thewasp_1

  (4/5)

  Heartbreaking story of survival in concentration camp. The writing is bare and the narrative engaging. The reality harrowing
• she_climber

  (4/5)

  I grudgingly read this book, as it was a book club selection, because I only had intentions in my life to ever read one more book about the Holocaust: The Diary of Anne Frank. I've read several over the years and while I don't think I've read a bad one, I much prefer my senseless murders to be the result of crazed fictional serial killers. It's too hard for me to read books or watch movies about non-fictional accounts of war: it is always far to real and can't enjoy them regardless of how good they are.This book lived up to its tagline as "based on the powerful true story of love and survival". Lale, the Tatowierer of Auschwitz, is a young man with remarkable kindness, charisma, and just plan luck who is able to work his charms with both men and women in order to survive the horrors of Nazi internment. He lucks/charms his way into a job assisting the current tattooer, a position that comes with a more leeway and privileges than most prisoners receive. Lale, who has always had an eye for the ladies, notices Gita while tattooing her and it's love at first sight. The story follows their stolen moments over the years imprisoned and how their love and his assured promise for their future keeps them going from one day to the next. Lale, with his personality and his position, is able to make connections throughout the camp that allow him to provide small amounts of assistance and protection for Gita, other friends he has made, and himself.This is not to say that there are not accounts of horrendous acts of violence, senseless deaths, and just unbelievable inhuman treatment, but Lale's outlook while put in an impossible situation is something to aspire to achieve.
• jmoncton_1

  (4/5)

  Wow - what a powerful story of survival. Based on interviews the author had with Lale Sokolov, it tells of a Jewish prisoner who survived Auschwitz and saw firsthand many of the atrocities that occurred as the tattooist of Auschwitz. As with many Holocaust stories, the brutality is horrific. But this book also recounts a tale of bravery, love, and an indomitable will to survive.
• marykuhl

  (5/5)

  This book is a beautiful story of two people who met and fell in love under the worst possible circumstances and how that love brought them through. Lale was one of the kindest souls and would do anything that he could for anyone. Reading the authors notes you can see how even after all these years, Lale still loved Gita. In the epilogue just as much happened to the two of them as did thru the entire book. This is an excellent book!!
• jgoto_4

  (4/5)

  The story behind The Tattooist of Auschwitz is interesting, as are most stories about life in concentration camps during WWII. Beyond that, there is nothing exceptional about this novel. The characters are not particularly developed and the prose is not noteworthy.
• startwithgivens

  (4/5)

  4.5 stars
  ****
  I loved this book. I really enjoyed the way it was written. Although it told the story of prisoners at Auschwitz-Birkenau, at no point did I feel like I absolutely had to put it down to collect myself. I often wondered how these characters survived for so many years, and even so many pages, but as I came closer to the end it became very clear. This was a very smart couple. It was obvious early on that Lale knew what to do to keep himself safe. I often worried that he was trying to share too much, and it was clear that he wasn't completely immune from trouble. However, his kind actions were never forgotten and I loved that.
  
  I am really glad that this was based on a true story. It comforts me to know that intelligence and good deeds can get you somewhere in life. Although their situation was painfully different than hopefully anything that will happen in our lifetimes, it is still a lesson worth learning. I held on much tighter to the story of survival than the story of love. Maybe I found it easier to connect with somebody fighting for their life by whatever means necessary than to connect with somebody fighting for the love of their life. Either way, I found the story very easy to connect with, despite the difference in circumstance.
  
  I also want to thank Heather Morris for telling this story, and telling this story so well. I think it's so important that we keep this memory of concentration camps and hatred alive. I honestly had never taken the time to appreciate how many different groups were hauled into Auschwitz. I haven't really thought about the medical experiments since high school when I first learned how bad they really were. Even for those of us who know the story, it is all to easy to forget the story. We simply cannot let that happen.
• shazjhb

  (4/5)

  Much better books about this subject both fiction and non-fiction. However, the book does demonstrate how beginning kind makes all the difference. Wonder what happened to many of the other people.
• sbenne3

  (4/5)

  I read a lot of books in the genre and this one did not disappoint . . . . unfortunately, i didn't realize it was a true story (audio book) until the end of the book . . . . so as I was listening I found it to be a bit unrealistic and fragmented. Knowing it was a true story makes it believable (clearly), but I still think the writing could have been much better to really bring these important characters to life.
• nu5bibliophile

  (5/5)

  It's a comfort to know that despite of the bleak circumstances, they were still able to find love and hang on to hope. I couldn't put this book down. I couldn't bring myself to stop reading. It was such a powerful and unforgettable story.
• samsattler

  (3/5)

  "The Tattooist of Auschwitz" left me with mixed feelings and, honestly, my opinion of the novel still seems to be changing from hour to hour. It's not that author Heather Morris is a bad writer; she's not. It's more that she never really made me feel the true horror of what life was like in a WWII German concentration camp. Morris touched on all of the atrocities that occurred to those so unfortunate as to find themselves imprisoned by the Germans: the brutality, the depravities, murders, medical "experiments," rapes, starvation, the crematoriums, the forced labor, etc., it's all there. But the book's main character Lale Sokolov lived such a blessed existence in the camp despite all that was going on around him, that it's hard to shake the feeling that this is more a romance novel than a historical novel. (And, yes, the real Lale Sokolov chose Morris to tell his story and worked with her to produce it.)Bottom line, this is the story of a young Jewish man who fell instantly in love with one of the women he was tasked to tattoo an identification number on at Auschwitz. Lale became Gita's protector and advisor, managed to sneak her and her friends extra rations that he purchased from a civilian camp worker, and even got her the medicine that saved her life when it appeared that she had almost no chance of recovery. Theirs is a beautiful love story. That both survived and managed to find each other after the chaos of the death camp's liberation is a miracle. That all of this happened in the real world is simply astonishing, but I'm just not sure that the novel quite does justice to their story.
• joannemonck

  (3/5)

  A story of love overcoming the worst possible scenario. We all know the horrors of Auschwitz so no need to go over them again. The only problem I had with this book is the it seemed unreal. I can't believe one person can have as much "luck" as he did when no one else seemed to. From befriending his guard, to getting food from some workers in town, to getting his girlfriend an easier "job" in the office. There were just too many Lucky Instances to be. totally believable.
• carolburnett-1

  (5/5)

  I cried reading this heart breaking but fascinating book.
• thiscatsabroad

  (3/5)

  I was really disappointed with this book - yes, the story was moving, but the writer´s overly simplistic and almost juvenile style of writing made this an almost boring read. I see that this was intended as a screenplay, & perhaps it would have best written as such.
• thewanderingjew_1

  (4/5)

  The Tattooist of Auschwitz- Heather Morris, author; Richard Armitage, narrator.This novel tells the story of Ludwig Eisenberg and Gisela Fuhrmannova. Essentially, it is a love story that defied the odds as it took place in the most unusual of places. Ludwig was known as Lale. In 1942, he was a prisoner in the Auschwitz Concentration Camp. His job was to tattoo incoming prisoners. He met Gita (Gisela), just a teenager of 17, on the day she was brought to him to have her tattoo redone because it had faded. For Lale, it seemed to be love at first sight, and he took it upon himself to protect her and insure her survival. Every Holocaust story brings with it a unique history of events, and this one is no different. It reminds the reader of the brutality and sadistic horror that the Germans, under Hitler’s Third Reich, systematically inflicted upon innocents who were guilty only of not being pure Aryans, although some were also marked because they held opposing political viewpoints. It is sad that fewer sane minds prevailed. Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, and the mentally ill were among those who were persecuted and systematically tortured, starved, worked to death or murdered outright so that Germany and Germans could enlarge their territory and prosper. The means justified their end goals. At first, I was drawn into the story because I thought it was the true story of Lale and Gita Sokolov (Lale changed his name from Eisenberg to Sokolov, his sister’s married name). As I read it and realized that the author had taken a great deal of poetic license in her presentation of events, I still enjoyed it, but not quite as a piece of history. I found it to be a compelling presentation of a romance that defied reality, and in some cases, some of the descriptions of events and experiences seemed to even defy credibility. I began to wonder how much of the story was based on fact and how much on the fiction that the author had to create when she put pen to paper. Since she did not hear actual conversations and had to rely on Sokolov’s memory and description of events, she surely had to embellish a great deal. There was so much that had to be filled in by her in order for her to write a cohesive and realistic story. Sometimes she was more successful than others as the narrative often went off into the world of a fairytale as characters that behaved with vicious brutality were often being presented with an occasional softer side. The author seemed to struggle to paint a positive side to the evil many exhibited, as if each villain had a redeeming trait to fall back on, in spite of their taking great pleasure in cruel, violent, evil behavior. To me, that softer side seemed to be far more of an anomaly and not the rule of thumb.From the description of events, it appeared almost miraculous that Gita and Lela survived what they were forced to undergo. As with many survivors, a good deal of their ability to survive was because of luck and the occasional kindness of others. Yet, even the kindness of others seemed to have had a price, since nobody seemed to turn down any of the bribes offered. It seemed as if few did anything simply out of the goodness of their hearts, but rather they did it also for the reward they would reap. The reader may well question if such a romantic relationship could have developed and thrived in a place filled with guards who relished and enjoyed their power, brutality and capacity for carnage. Still, the idea that there were some strong enough or lucky enough to survive through whatever means they could find comes through loud and clear, even when doing what was necessary meant sacrificing others to save themselves. Bargains were struck and compromises made in order to insure their survival. There were unusual friendships and choices that had to be made. Sometimes the line between collaborator and survivor was blurred.No matter how many books you read, non-fiction or historic fiction, you can never full realize the complete extent of the Holocaust horror.The narrator did a phenomenal job using perfect and appropriate accents, excellent expression and tone to present mood and the moment.
• jenniferrobb

  (4/5)

  It's a powerful story. It's a sad story, but there is hope within the sadness. Amidst the backdrop of World War II, Lale Sokolov leaves his home, believing that by doing so he is safeguarding the rest of his family. He ends up in Auschwitz-Birkenau. A Frenchman sets Lale up to be his assistant tattooist (putting the numbers on the arms of prisoners). Later, the Frenchman disappears without explanation, leaving Lale as the head tattooist. Lale attempts to use his position to help others. He finds an assistant in Leon (who disappears, reappears, and then disappears again). He gets girls who work in the warehouses (called The Canada) to steal money, gems, and jewelry which are passed on to him and which he in turn passes on to buy foods, medicines, and other items to help himself and others in the camps. Lale also finds love in the form of Gita--Gita is in the first group of women Lale sees brought to the concentration camp. Lale tattoos her arm. The lengths Lale goes to and the risks he takes to help others survive are both admirable and sad. It is heartening to see that there are people in the surrounding area who are willing to help those in the concentration camps even at risk to themselves. I'm sure they would have been imprisoned if they'd been discovered helping those in the camp. Once he finally escapes the Germans/Nazis, Lale thinks he'll surrender to the Russians. At first they ignore him, but then they put him to work as a "pimp"--a nicer form of slavery/imprisonment than what he had at the concentration camp but still, he is not free. He is better fed and better clothed and has access to a bathroom, but little freedom. Somehow, he still manages to squirrel away some money and gems and eventually, when he's gained the Russians' trust, he takes off for his homeland and to find Gita. Eventually, he and Gita move to Australia and make a life for themselves. Lale tells his story only after Gita passes away.
• adam.currey

  (3/5)

  I was somewhat disappointed in this book. I enjoyed it, but nowhere near as much as I expected to. It's a story of great contrasts; of kindness, compassion, and even love amongst the greatest of human cruelty. I expected to be moved, perhaps even to tears, but I wasn't, not even close. The story is narrated in a very simplistic, factual style that tells the story of what happened but it fails to generate any emotional investment in the reader.
• alirob_1

  (2/5)

  Badly written.
• meeniereads

  (4/5)

  A very moving story of a tragic time.An uplifting outcome.I understand why it is on bestseller lists!
• tamarack804-1

  (5/5)

  I would like to thank Net Galley for the advanced copy of "The Tattooist of Auschwitz". It's a book about the Holocaust with a little different twist telling the story of how a man survives Auschwitz and how he helps other prisoners as well. The book was very good and kept my interest till the end . It gives a good account of the horror of the prison camps. I look forward to another book by this author.
• froxgirl

  (4/5)

  An important addition to the bookshelf of Holocaust memoirs, this story of complicity for the sake of survival is a well-told novel based on the recollections of Lale Sokolov, who did use crude materials to assign numbers for the Nazis of Auschwitz and Birkenau. Chosen for his task as a result of his language skills, he manages to help his bunkmates, co-workers, and others to survive, primarily by smuggling confiscated jewels and money to Polish day workers in exchange for food and medicine. There's a particularly poignant chapter on his Romany roommates, and how Lale learns to put aside his own prejudices to become part of their family. After he tattoos her, Lale falls in love with Gita, and manages to have her assigned to a Nazi office at the camp, sparing her manual labor and her life. As a result of his privilege, both of them survive to be liberated. The reader recognizes how many others must have died in their stead, and of course one cannot help but wonder whether they themselves would have made the same choice.
• kathl33n-1

  (2/5)

  This was a beautiful story but I thought it was written completely without emotion. I wonder how the author could spend three years learning this story from the MC and then retell it without seeming to portray an emotional connection to any of the characters.
• kathywoodall

  (4/5)

  I really enjoyed this book. Lake Slovakian was a prisoner at one of the worst concentration camps in Europe, Auschwitz. I can’t even imagine what it must have like to be the one who tattoos the numbers on his fellow Jews. He does help people by getting them medicine and food they need. I read Geta book years ago and enjoyed it.
• clarerhoden

  (5/5)

  A moving and affecting book which causes the reader to reflect on man's inhumanity to man, our will to survive, and the cost of love. I bought this book many weeks ago but have put off reading it as the world of the Holocaust is not something to enter lightly. I needed to be feeling strong. However, despite the horrendous circumstances, this telling manages to be both honest and also sparing - there is no revelling in atrocity; in this case, less certainly is more. In this way, we as readers can experience something of the mindset of the prisoners - acknowledgement that horrors are happening, but somehow continuing to be human despite being treated worse than the most despised animal.
  Powerful. Important. Read it.
• debkrenzer

  (5/5)

  This was such a great book for me. I loved the characters especially and sped right through it.I loved that, for the most part, the gas chambers, crematoriums and the other human atrocities were scenery. Not to say that it wasn't prevalent, but it wasn't the gist of the story.The story was about a man who did everything he could to save himself and still be able to live with himself. And, also what he could do for the people around him. He was responsible for saving many lives by sneaking in food, hiding people, etc., whatever it took.Such a great, great book! I loved it!!! A really strong feel good read, despite the atrocities, that had me speeding right through this one.Thanks to Bonnier Zaffre and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
• miss.mesmerized

  (5/5)

  When times become hard for Jews in 1942 Slovakia, Ludwig Eisenberg, named Lale, decides to save his family and to present himself to the enemy. After some days waiting he is transported to Auschwitz-Birkenau, today the synonym with Nazi cruelty. He soon attracts attention due to his knowledge of several languages and his ability to cope with people. He becomes the tattooist of Auschwitz, the person who replaces the peoples’ names with a number on their wrist. Lale’s extraordinary capabilities make him wander between the lines, on the one hand, he serves the Nazis, on the other, he supports the Jews and gypsies in the camp. When He first sees Gita, he completely falls for her. But a concentration camp is not the best scenery for a love story, especially since you never know if you will die tomorrow.Heather Morris has written a compelling story in one of the most awful places the Nazi regime has created. Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest concentration camp where more than one million persons found death during the second world war and where Josef Mengele carried out is gruesome experiments, is today a museum and remembrance site which aims at preventing such a thing from happening ever again.The story is based on the narration of the real Lale Eisenberg who later called himself Sokolov when he, after surviving the Holocaust, started a new life first in Slovakia and then Australia. It is incredible to read about his life in the camp, especially considering the fact that he as a kind of collaborator was relatively well off. Those who are burnt in the gas chambers, those who fell prey to Menegle’s experiments and all the ones who died from hunger or illness are only on the fringes of the story. So after all, we actually get one of the happier sides of being held prisoner under unimaginable conditions even though this one isn’t free of tragedy either. But it is not only the story itself which is moving, it is also the author’s style which makes the book stand out. Most of the narration is in chronological order, only towards the end Lale has some kind of flashbacks of the time before he came to the camp. He never would have guessed that they were in real danger, that Hitler would invade Slovakia and certainly not all that he sees in Auschwitz. Morris makes the reader actually feel what Lale feels, quite often his emotions are palpable which makes the story go deep inside you. Especially in the moments when he is separated from Gita or close to death. Since it is based on a true story, this is certainly a life which needed to be told and which should be read about widely.
• jmchshannon

  (5/5)

  Given the current trend of governments moving away from democracy around the world, the timing of two new novels about the Nazi regime during World War II feels particularly prescient. The two novels are nothing alike, told from two very different perspectives of Nazi Germany, but they both are important for modern readers. Not only do they serve as a warning cry to not only never forget what happened. They also serve as a reminder to remain diligent and aware in order to prevent something like that happening again.V. S. Alexander‘s novel The Taster shows Nazi Germany from an insider’s perspective. Magda’s position as one of Hitler’s food tasters highlights his paranoia and his general fear of germs and murder plots. She provides readers with so much more though than just an intimate view of Hitler’s neuroses. Through Magda we see how well the Nazis hid the truth from the German citizens. We see the insidiousness of the Nazi regime and the unspoken fear with which they reigned. We see the reasons why the German people supported Hitler and considered him Germany’s savior and the blind faith they had that he would succeed. Lastly, we see that everyone had differing opinions as to the Nazis. Some supported him without question, others supported him with doubts, some feared his rule but did nothing, and others actively fought against the Nazi party using guerrilla tactics where possible.Magda’s unique position affords readers an enticing look at all of this. Her story is as engaging as it is educational. The fact that it is based on the accounts of Hitler’s actual tasters makes it all the more compelling. Still, there is the feel that much of Magda’s story has been spiced up a bit. Her presence at certain scenes, and especially her friendship with Eva Braun, are most certainly a plot contrivance meant to give the story a bit more zest. This does not lessen some of the key points made – the growing desperation on the part of the Hitler party leaders, Hitler’s dichotomous nature, the increasing disconnect between the news reports about the war’s successful progression with nightly bombings and battles occurring ever closer to German soil. It does however mute their importance.The Tattooist of Auschwitz is also based on a firsthand account, but unlike The Taster, there is no doubt that Lale’s story has no embellishments. It may be a novel, but it is nonfiction in the guise of fiction. This is an unusual narrative choice, but it makes Lale’s story easier to stomach. Anyone who entered the gates of Auschwitz in 1942 and survived the entire war and post-war chaos has lived through hell and has the stories to match. By filtering these stories through the medium of fiction, it softens the harsh edges of the truth and makes it more palatable.Whereas desperation tinges Magda’s story, especially as the war draws to a close, hope and love are the defining themes of Lale’s story. This is a major distinction between the two novels and is as much a result of the different situations in which each of the two main characters existed as it is to their personalities. Magda was merely an observer, letting history happen around her, but Lale was an active participant in everything that happened to him. From the opening paragraph, we know that survival was Lale’s sole goal for whatever the Germans had in store for him. We see this in his manipulation of situations in his favor, no matter how it made him look to his fellow prisoners.Moreover, he knew that in order to survive maintaining hope was essential, and we see him not only doing so for himself but finding reasons to help others remain hopeful. In addition, love literally changed his life. In a testament to the power to love, meeting his future wife shortly upon his arrival gave him the drive and reason to live, and the dream of marrying Gita as a free person allowed him to remain hopeful through the worst of what mankind can instill on others. In many ways, Lale’s story is as much of a love story as it is a personal observation of the horrors of war.If The Taster is akin to a carousel ride, The Tattooist of Auschwitz is the most death-defying roller coaster. The former is entertaining, mild, and the type of story that allows you to remain an emotionless observer. The latter, though, is an emotional punch in the gut that demands you not only pay attention but become emotionally involved. Even with the filter smoothing the rough edges of horror, Lale’s story contains harsh realities that remain all the more disgusting because of their truth. For all of that, the layer of hope and his profound sense of love for Gita and for his fellow prisoners reminds you of the beauty of humanity and provides a fantastic juxtaposition for everything he experienced.
• tina1969_1

  (4/5)

  Reading books about The Holocaust are normally out of my comfort zone but this book intrigued me. It's the true story of Lale Sokolov and how he survived his time in Auschwitz. It's always hard to review on this subject. A time in our history that is never forgotten and should never happen again. I found the story very compelling and heart moving.There are so many words that could describe this book but for me there are two, hope and courage. Lale becomes the tattooist to survive and helps others as much as he can. I flew through the book which seemed a quick read and enjoyed it more than what I thought I would. It shows that even when there is the most cruelty there is always hope.
• susan0316

  (4/5)

  This is a beautifully written, wonderfully researched novel about a Jewish man during WWII. The historical fiction novel is based on a real person who told his story to the author. He and his wife had kept their lives private after they moved to Australia after the war but after his wife died after over 50 years of marriage, he felt the need to share their story with the world.Lale Sokolov was a young man when he decided to go to a work camp to save the rest of his family. He finds out later that this was a lie and most of the rest of his family didn't survive. He was given the role at a tattooist - the person who tattooed the numbers on the arms of the prisoners. Because he had a bit more freedom that most, he was able to get extra food to share with other people. One day he saw Gita and knew that he had to get to know her. The next several years were terrible for both of them and the atrocities that went on were horrendous. He managed to find her again after the war and they immigrated to Australia.This is a difficult story to read due to the horrible things that were going on in the camps but Lale had decided early on that he would survive and that thought kept him alive every day. So even though it's a very sad story - it's also very uplifting and shows the very best of humanity in the very worst of circumstances.Thanks to netgalley for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.
• nbmars

  (5/5)

  Lale Sokolov (born Ludwig Eisenberg), born in Krompachy, Slovia in 1916, was transported by the Nazis to Auschwitz on April 23, 1942. He was 24, healthy, and could speak a number of languages, which proved very fortunate for him. In fact, as inappropriate as it seems to speak of an inmate of Nazi concentration camps having a lot of “luck,” the fact is that Lale, in spite of his circumstances, had an inordinate amount of it. Even one of the S.S. marveled he was like a cat with nine lives.Lale became a Tätowierer, or tattooist, for the camp, one of the men assigned to brand the prisoners when they arrived, just as was done to Lale when he came to Auschwitz. The Nazis used the tattoos to identify bodies after they killed them, in order to comply with their meticulous record-keeping showing who arrived and who was killed. Lale hated the job, but it was a way to keep alive, and he vowed when he came there that he would survive and see those who were responsible pay a price. He held on to that thought using it like a mantra to make himself get out of bed each morning, and the next and the next.He soon got another reason to go on living, after meeting a girl whose tattoo had faded and needed to be redone: Gita Furman (born Gisela Fuhrmannova) was also from Slovakia. Lale was entranced by her dark eyes, and began a secret courtship with her. He was helped by a number of factors. Because he was one of only two Tätowierers, he had more freedom than other prisoners, and even got extra rations. He was able to walk around and befriend two local workers, from whom he received meat, chocolate, and even medicine, for which he paid in jewels confiscated by the Nazis from incoming prisoners. He got those from the girls who worked in “Canada,” where the prisoners possessions were collected and processed. The girls transferred jewels and money to Lale, and he in turn got them what they needed. He was in this way able to help get Gita penicillin when she was sick and then obtain a job in the office where life would be easier for her. He also bribed the guard in charge of Gita’s barrack to get time to see her. He also helped anyone he could who needed it, and he was repaid in kind when he himself needed help. In this way both he and Gita survived until 1945, when the Russians were closing in and the Germans abandoned the camp. But first, the Nazis tried to kill remaining prisoners. Lale and Gita independently escaped and made their separate ways back to Slovakia.Lale went to the main train station in Bratislava every day, hoping to find Gita among the many survivors coming daily. And after two weeks, there she was. They were married in October, 1945. When he got into trouble with the new government in Czechoslovakia, again Lale got lucky, and he and Gita escaped, making their way to Australia in 1949.The author met Lale in 2003, after Gita died and when Lale wanted to tell his story to a writer who was not Jewish, so would more likely be without personal baggage or preconceptions. She visited Lale two or three times a week for three years until his own death in 2006 and gradually learned his story: “We had become friends - no, more than friends….” as she learned what happened sixty years before.Although the author decided to call this book a novel because she has created dialogue based on what Lale told her and because of the uncertainty of the veracity of memory, she states:“Lale’s memories were, on the whole, remarkably clear and precise. They matched my research into people, dates, and places.”She concludes:“The Tattooist of Auschwitz is a story of two ordinary people living in an extraordinary time, deprived not only of their freedom but also their dignity, their names, and their identities. It is Lale’s account of what they needed to do to survive. Lale lived his life by the motto: ‘If you wake up in the morning, it is a good day.’ On the morning of his funeral I woke knowing it was not a good day for me, but that it would have been for him. He was now with Gita.”I would only object that Lale and Gita were not, in fact, “ordinary.” As Lale said to Gita about her friend Cilka, who was forced to perform sexual acts with one of the SS, “Tell her I think she is a hero. . . You’re a hero, too, my darling. That the two of you have chosen to survive is a type of resistance to these Nazi bastards. Choosing to live is an act of defiance, a form of heroism.”Lale also, to me, was heroic, and extraordinary.The book includes photos and some additional information about the fate of others mentioned in the story.Evaluation: This powerful book of courage and hope when there is no justification to feel either is an incredible story, and highly recommended.