#20 The Tattoo Artist of Auschwitz

Now forgive me in advance for the next couple because I'm going to fire them out. My Gap-Year is quickly coming to an end, which means so is this! Its been a fun little project, but I have a feeling I'll be a little too busy in the future to continue.

I feel like I was a little bit late to the party with this one, but doesn't really matter as it was still brilliant. I am an absolute junkie for true stories, and one so powerful and poignant as this had to be read.

This book takes you back to glimpse at the horrific and barbaric period of history, which should never have been allowed to happen. The atrocities of the Nazi-occupation are known to most; amongst many things, the genocide through the concentration camps.

Lale Sokolov volunteers, in an effort to keep his family safe, to work for the German government. He is led to believe, that it will be an administrative role in an office somewhere in Berlin. But of course, it is not. Instead he is placed on a cattle-train with hundreds of others, on a one-way trip to Birkinau-Auswitch.

Through his first few weeks he watches and observes, learning the best way to survive and thrive. By saying the right things, and meeting the right people, he manages to avoid manual labour and become an apprentice to the tattoo artist. Then one mundane morning, the first train of women arrive at the camp and he tattoos Gita's number.

Throughout the book we see the lengths that Lale and Gita will go for one another just to catch a glimpse of each and maybe if they were even luckier, a hug. Their love is so simple and pure, that it has to be constantly admired. Their affection for each other became so intense and precious resulting i time apart being excruciating and exhausting. They never knew if one had been shot, gassed or beaten until they could catch a glimpse the following week.

Lale and Gita were unbleivaly. I am so happy that their story has been told and adored by millions all around the world.

Every single soul in every single camp is a hero in my eyes. Their struggle, death and life have allowed generations to learn from the cruelty and never allow history to repeat itself. Their range of stories spark disbelief, but of course they are all speaking the truth. Most of the stories we hear are about trying to escape the brutality, the beatings, the killings, the awful living conditions, the hunger, the medical experiments, manual labour and the constant smell of burning flesh.

But this is a story about love. Love that is found in a place that will forever boil in hatred and suffering. Love is strong. Love survives.

Forgive me for the cheesy passion, but if Lale and Gita can have a relationship in a concentration camp, then we have no excuses for our failures!

We Remember Them.

Hx