Christi's Reviews > The Tattooist of Auschwitz

I’ve had The Tattooist of Auschwitz on my TBR list for awhile, knowing I needed to be in the right frame of mind to read it. I finally felt like the time was right and I was right in my assumptions. This was a tough read.

I felt such a tremendous ache when I read this story. I’ve read my fair share of WWII historical fiction, but this story being rooted in truth made it all the more heartbreaking. No matter what I read and learn about WWII I will never be able to wrap my head around the absolute evil that prevailed during this time in our tainted history, especially the horrors that happened amid the barbed wire in the concentration camps. How one person can harbor so much hatred for a fellow human being is incomprehensible to me, but to then to pass that hatred onto others who blindly follow this parasite of a person makes the entire situation all the more unbelievable. What saddens me the most is the fact that these misguided feelings and sentiments still rage on in our world today. When will we as a society learn? How many more stories need to be told before we stand and do something to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again?

The fact that this is a debut novel for author Heather Morris is astounding as the narrative sounds like it’s been written by a seasoned veteran, and not someone just starting out on their literary journey! The writing is captivating in its depth, putting you in Auschwitz with Lale, Gita, and all of the other prisoners, which is made all the more terrifying when you realize this account is based on a true story. Lale and Gita existed, and had to endure the horrors they did in Auschwitz together, yet their story is also a ray of hope amid such death and depravity, proving that true love can endure even in the worst conditions humanly possible. Talk about giving hope!

As soon as I read their ending I smiled, but then had to sit the book down, and really put the whole story into perspective. Can you imagine the bond that they must’ve felt after the war ended? To endure everything they did and to make it out alive must’ve made every other fight and life event so trivial. I bet they cherished every moment they had together. I know I would have.

I was so engrossed in The Tattooist of Auschwitz that I finished it within hours of picking it up, and immediately started reading the second book, Cilka’s Journey, despite the fact that it was very, very early in the morning. I plan on reading the trilogy back to back to get the full picture from different perspectives. May we never forget what these brave individuals fought for, and may we never see these things come to pass again. Thank you Heather for telling Lale and Gita’s harrowing story.