The Tattooist of Auschwitz

By: Heather Morris

Narrated by: Richard Armitage

The Tattooist of Auschwitz is based on the true story of Lale and Gita Sokolov, two Slovakian Jews who survived Auschwitz and eventually made their home in Australia. In that terrible place, Lale was given the job of tattooing the prisoners marked for survival - literally scratching numbers into his fellow victims' arms in indelible ink to create what would become one of the most potent symbols of the Holocaust. Lale used the infinitesimal freedom of movement that this position awarded him to exchange jewels and money taken from murdered Jews for food to keep others alive. If he had been caught, he would have been killed; many owed him their survival.

There have been many books about the Holocaust - and there will be many more. What makes this one so memorable is Lale Sokolov's incredible zest for life. He understood exactly what was in store for him and his fellow prisoners, and he was determined to survive - not just to survive but to leave the camp with his dignity and integrity intact, to live his life to the full. Terrible though this story is, it is also a story of hope and of courage. It is also - almost unbelievably - a love story. Waiting in line to be tattooed, terrified and shaking, was a young girl. For Lale - a dandy, a jack-the-lad, a bit of a chancer - it was love at first sight, and he determined not only to survive himself but to ensure that Gita did, too. His story - their story - will make you weep, but you will also find it uplifting. It shows the very best of humanity in the very worst of circumstances.

Like many survivors, Lale and Gita told few people their story after the war. They eventually made their way to Australia, where they raised a son and had a successful life. But when Gita died, Lale felt he could no longer carry the burden of their past alone. He chose to tell his story.

©2018 Heather Morris (P)2018 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd

amazing story

what a true story. to hear the horrors of concentration camps from a survivor , and what he went through makes me feel blessed. he was a hero and survivor.

Amazing book. Couldn’t stop listening. What a story

Incredible. I loved this. It’s a true story and just such a compelling read. I’m sad to have finished it. Just such a wonderful example of the power of the human spirit.

Such a tender story

Important stories must be told over and over again. We may not think about what it took to survivs each day... For a story of survival this is filled with such heart break... Great narration.

Narrated with such sensitivity.

A beautifully respectful retelling of the harrowing life and love of two ordinary humans caught in circumstances outside of their control.
No excess words. None needed.
This ‘story’ (for want of a better word) gave me reason to reflect on the fact that even when it appears we have no power, when choice seems to have been removed far from us, we are still able to choose. We can choose love, compassion, and life until it is taken from us.

Apart from a few minor glitches in audio where recording obviously stopped and restarted, the narration was of a very appropriate speed and tone. Beautifully sensitive to the topic and laden with the emotion that becomes palpable to the listener. This book was not merely read. It was shared.

A profound story of love stronger than death

Profoundly moving .. what a testament to the human spirit... so moving... thank you for a sublime story of a love stronger than death...

Worth the buy

It lived up to expectations, you will not regret it. It's really sad that these things have happened but at least some positive stories have come out of it.

Cannot stop listening for a moment

Worth every moment of listening. Very disturbing how the victor acts while in power. This is one of the top books to listen to.

Amazing Story of Survival

The narrator is excellent. This story is incredible. It’s hard to believe that these individuals were not only able to endure the horror of Auschwitz but to find each other after. And they were never broken by their suffering, but maintained their hope and pure joy for life. The epilogue and authors notes endured me further to the story. Excellent all around.

a story of love and survival

A heart warming story of 2 people who found each other under the worst circumstances and survived to spend a long happy life together and thrive. I also appreciated the afterwards that gave this history more meaning. And the beautiful tribute their son Gary gave; that he learned to love and show affection by watching his parents just shows how much children learn from their parents.

What?!? Only 3 Stars For Richard Armitage? Yes...

Don't get me wrong--generally, Armitage absolutely elevates prose to dizzying heights, and when I saw he was to be the narrator of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, I was thrilled.
Uhm, no.
The book is fraught with tragedy, has tenderness, has passion, but Armitage delivers it all in the same ponderous, oh so ponderous, tones. I had to speed the whole thing up to x1.25-x1.5 speed as what sensitivity there was within the text is lost in such slooooow and serious reading. He does well with accents, well with dialogue, but for the most part... ouch!
And this is very much an Ouch-ish kind of book. Lale and Gita have nothing, no power of choice, little dignity; all they have is each other in horrific circumstances. They live moment to moment, never knowing when the SS will come for them. Never knowing when they can laugh, when they can kiss. The book depicts the terrors of Auschwitz-Birkenau quite well, the determination to just get through each day, surviving at all costs--even if that means "defiling" your fellow human being with tattoos that turn a person into a number rather than a name (but don't worry--Lale shows his humanity in numerous other ways).
While a good book, I don't think it merits 5-stars as it's fairly easy to put down/put away for a time, and I'm very much into cover-to-cover listens.
Maybe it was Armitage (whom I would still gladly listen to in another work), maybe it was a certain dryness of the text. I don't know.
I'm glad I listened to it, but I wish it had been more engaging...