.png)
The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris follows the life of Lale, a Jewish man, sent to Auschwitz II, Birkenau, a Nazi death camp. Soon enough, because of his intelligence and observation, be manages to secure a job as the tattooist at Auschwitz, landing him with more food rations and a better room. One of the main themes in the book is love and passion, especially after meeting his soulmate at the concentration camps. While the book is told in a novel style, the story is based off of Lale Sokolov’s life which Morris unearthed through interviews with Lale and Gita as well as their children.
When thinking about fictional historical books that have come out in the last five years, one of the most loudly hailed is The Tattooist of Auschwitz, so going into this, as a history student and avid-reader, I had high hopes. However, while I realise it is a fictional book with a true story behind it, I don’t think the book did justice in revealing the true extent of the atrocities committed in the camp. Throughout, I was constantly waiting for there to be a truly horrific scene that reflected the lives of Auschwitz workers, but that never came and I was only left disappointed at how the book didn’t actively seem to attempt to portray the full picture.
In contrast to this, I felt the book was too heavily focused on the relationship between the two protagonists, often overshadowing the setting so much that I’d have to remind myself that this relationship is being carried out in Auschwitz, not in Paris. Even before Lale meets Gita, his repeated talk of women and wanting to be with them dominates the narrative and seems to be the sole focus of the story. While again I understand that Lale and Gita in real life stressed to Heather that their love was the focus of their time in Auschwitz and dare I say what got them through everything, if you’re a reader interested in history more than romance, this book is definitely not for you.
Additionally, the book had the perfect opportunity to discuss other groups of people in society who were sent to the camps, notably homosexuals and the disabled, were missing from the narrative as major groups alongside the Jews, Poles and Gypsies. Once again, this lack of an accurate depiction was at the forefront of my thoughts while reading this, and perhaps my ‘history student cap’ had to be removed before reading this book, because I found myself too clung to the missing details to truly appreciate the romance between Lale and Gita.
For a strength of the book, and one that I truly loved, was the friendships the author emphasised throughout. It is evident that friendships and bonds and simply looking out for the people around you are what kept Lale and other Auschwitz survivors in the 1940s alive. despite being in the situation they were in, there was still this internal and natural desire to help others, often at the expense of your own health and well-being. This love and charity is what grounds the book and Morris portrays these friendships so genuinely, it is no surprise that it is of a biographical nature – you can feel how real the people and friendships were.
Overall, there is really no other weaknesses; the pace is good, the main characters are likeable, and the friendship dynamic described was probably the best bit. I was never bored and was always genuinely wanting to read it, but the overdone romance was often dominating in the narrative. If you’re looking for a romance novel with a historical setting then this book is for you.
Rating: ⭐⭐