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The Tattooist of Auschwitz

A Novel

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The Tattooist of Auschwitz

Written by: Heather Morris
Narrated by: Richard Armitage
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About this listen

This beautiful, illuminating tale of hope and courage is based on interviews that were conducted with Holocaust survivor and Auschwitz-Birkenau tattooist Ludwig (Lale) Sokolov - an unforgettable love story in the midst of atrocity.

In April 1942, Lale Sokolov, a Slovakian Jew, is forcibly transported to the concentration camps at Auschwitz-Birkenau. When his captors discover he speaks several languages, he is put to work as a Tätowierer (the German word for "tattooist"), tasked with permanently marking his fellow prisoners.

Imprisoned for more than two and a half years, Lale witnesses horrific atrocities and barbarism - but also incredible acts of bravery and compassion. Risking his own life, he uses his privileged position to exchange jewels and money from murdered Jews for food to keep his fellow prisoners alive.

One day in July 1942, Lale, prisoner 32407, comforts a trembling young woman waiting in line to have the number 34902 tattooed onto her arm. Her name is Gita, and in that first encounter, Lale vows to somehow survive the camp and marry her.

A vivid, harrowing, and ultimately hopeful recreation of Lale Sokolov's experiences as the man who tattooed the arms of thousands of prisoners with what would become one of the most potent symbols of the Holocaust, The Tattooist of Auschwitz is also a testament to the endurance of love and humanity under the darkest possible conditions.

©2018 Heather Morris (P)2018 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd
20th Century Fiction World Literature Holocaust Heartfelt Inspiring Scary Tearjerking Prisoners of War Romance
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What the critics say

"Richard Armitage is a superb narrator whose performance here is among his best.... Armitage's performance captures every emotion from fear to trepidation to hope and even to love with understated warmth." (AudioFile)

"The audio version of this book is a particularly strong marriage of narrator and material. The British actor Richard Armitage uses an impressive variety of actorly tools as he shifts perspective.... He skillfully conveys the cruel, mocking tone that the SS officers and guards often used with prisoners as a way of reinforcing their power. Even when he isn't portraying a specific character, Armitage keeps the listener engaged and alert by modulating his tone, sometimes within individual sentences. At times it seems as if there are two narrators, so often, and ably, does Armitage vary his delivery.... [The author's] compassion for her characters, combined with Armitage's riveting delivery, makes this an immensely satisfying book to listen to, whatever else you might happen to be doing." (The New York Times Book Review)

"The Tattooist of Auschwitz is an extraordinary document, a story about the extremes of human behavior existing side by side: calculated brutality alongside impulsive and selfless acts of love. I find it hard to imagine anyone who would not be drawn in, confronted and moved. I would recommend it unreservedly to anyone, whether they’d read a hundred Holocaust stories or none." (Graeme Simsion, internationally best-selling author of The Rosie Project)

What listeners say about The Tattooist of Auschwitz

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A good quick listen

I have come to enjoy extraordinarily long audio books that I put on at night for bed but only comprehend a chapter or two so I often hear the part of the book with my sleeping sub conscience and once or twice again as I rewind into what I've heard the night before but don't rememeber specifically where I stopped consciousness comprehension. Such as a Tolstoy epic where it is nice to hear it a few times to really get to know the characters. However, sometimes I want a quick entertaining story and that was this book.

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Captivating

This story was spellbinding. Right from the beginning I couldn’t stop listening. The reader was very engaging and made me feel I was there. I highly recommend this book!

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Powerful

Lale's story is an unbelievable 1! Very well written, and the narrator's voice is smooth and easy to listen to. Definitely a recommended listen!

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A truly amazing story.

The best and worst of humanity. A story that makes you appreciate the resilience of the human spirit. There is definitely moments than can be emotionally daunting to listen to due to the horrors involved. But an amazing story that I'm glad was told.

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Just inspiring

A true story that reads like fiction but as you remind yourself it’s not, your heart is pulled in so many directions. These heroes cannot be forgotten even as time moves on and we have less and less survivors to tell their story. I strongly encourage you to listen to this story. In a place that is considered hopeless and only have death, there were people who held onto hope any way they could and lived. Thank you for sharing this story.

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Who would expect this to be a love story?

I’d recommend this book to anybody who can understand English. Literally everybody should know about this couple.

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Beautiful and heartbreaking

This true story touched my heart as no other book has in many years. The narrator was excellent.

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important history!

Amazing, made me cry multiple times. This story also made me realize how privileged we are. How many things we take for granted. The epilogue when Gary was talking about going on a diet and Greta being upset made me think about how lucky we are.

Please don't let history repeat itself. What other human being did to their fellow people was horrifying.

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Wow

Can’t tell you much more than - wow. What a story. Do yourself a favor and give it a listen you won’t regret it.

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A remarkable true story. Richard Armitage’s voice lends such poignancy

A truly remarkable story told by a survivor of one of history’s worst times. Richard Armitage’s voice lends such poignancy and feeling to this story that it will bring tears to your eyes.

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