The Tattooist of Auschwitz

The Tattooist of Auschwitz

by Heather Morris

Finished a terrific book called The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris.  It is a true life story of a Lali Sokolov, a 26-year-old Slovakian Jew who gave himself up to the Nazis in the hopes that he would spare his family from capture.  Lali, age 87, begins to tell his story to Morris, who turns it into a book.  Lali goes into great depth describing the utter destruction that the Nazi’s dealt to all Jews and non-Aryan people.  Lali was determined to live and was offered an opportunity to become a tattooist, the person who marked all entering captives into Auschwitz and Buchenwald.  He was recruited by the tetovierer, the German name for tattooist, and he continued the role throughout his time in camp.  In reflection, Lali feels he may have been a ‘sell-out’ to the Germans for the role he played but knows it is what kept him alive and allowed him to receive more food than the other inmates.  He had a very strange relationship with the SS officer to whom he reported. His officer even allowed him to enter a relationship with another prisoner, Gita Furman, who was assigned to work in the administrative office for the SS. She did not receive the same extra rations that Lali did.  Lali later started to provide a portion of his rations to others in the camp and worked ‘undercover’ with another prisoner to get chocolates and other food for the prisoners.  The brutality of the camp was present throughout the book.  Prisoners being gassed and shot to death was normal.  It is unbelievable that our world was brought to such depths.  A horrific existence to live through.  Lali did survive and ended up being reunited with Gita after the war.  A love story through a hell that no one could ever have fathomed.  I listened to this one on tape.  I’d highly recommend.