Title: The Tatooist of Auschwitz
Author: Heather Morris
Narrated by: Richard Armitage
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“When you spend years not knowing if, in five minutes’ time you will be dead, there is not much you can’t deal with.”
⚠️Content awareness: n*zism, torture, cruelty
▪️WWII
▪️Holocaust survivors
💭 MY THOUGHTS
Based on the true story of two survivors of the holocaust and their experiences at Auschwitz.
Lale and Gita met at Auschwitz and fell in love, which seems impossibly optimistic. It’s hard to imagine being capable of feeling love while surrounded by so much inhumanity and cruelty, but these two are amazing examples of persistence. Fitting, as Lale’s motto is “if you wake up in the morning, it’s a good day.”
This was hard to listen to, as I expected it would be, but it was also uplifting. The examples of kindness and courage in a place and time when both were scarce and were not widely displayed were remarkable.
My favourite part was the author’s note and afterword, in which we hear from Lale and Gita’s son who described growing up in a home filled with love and kindness, affection and warmth. That Lale and Gita could thrive despite being permanently changed by the atrocities they faced and were forced to participate in is astounding. That they could go on to fill a home with happiness and joy and opportunity for their son is a testament to their strength.
The resilience of the human spirit was on display throughout this book, and I think Heather Morris did a wonderful job telling their story.
❓What is a motto you hold that helps you get through hard times?
I like to remind myself that I’ve survived emotional pain so deep that it felt like it should kill me. I can do hard things.
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