A dark, but extraordinary tale, The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris was confronting, raw and evocative in an entirely different way.
Lale Sokolov is well-dressed, a charmer, a ladies’ man. He is also a Jew. On the first transport from Slovakia to Auschwitz in 1942, Lale immediately stands out to his fellow prisoners. In the camp, he is looked up to, looked out for, and put to work in the privileged position of tätowierer – the tattooist – to mark his fellow prisoners, forever. One of them is a young woman, Gita, who steals his heart at first glance.
His life given new purpose, Lale does his best through the struggle and suffering to use his position for good.
Based on the true story of Lale Solokov, a Slovakian Jew, it makes for uncomfortable but compelling reading because it highlights the best and worst of human behaviour – and the things people will do when the world as they know it ceases to exist.
Both hard to read and hard not to, the storytelling leads readers through an experience full of horror, shadows and light; a love story like no other. It made me think – and opened my eyes to what happened at Auschwitz from a completely different perspective. (Bonnier, RRP $29.99)
Monique Mulligan
For more of Monique Mulligan’s writing on books, check out Write Note Reviews
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David Edwards is the editor of The Blurb and a contributor on film and television