I tattooed a number on her arm.
She tattooed her name on my heart
In 1942, Lale Sokolov arrived in Auschwitz-Birkenau. He was given the job of tattooing the prisoners marked for survival - scratching numbers into his fellow victims' arms in indelible ink to create what would become one of the most potent symbols of the Holocaust.
Waiting in line to be tatttooed, terrified and shaking, was a young girl. For Lale - a dandy, a jack the lad, a bit of a chancer - it was love at first sight. And he was determined not only to survive himself, but to ensure this women, Gita, did too.
So begins one of the most life-affirming, courageous, unforgettable and human stories of the Holocaust: the love story of the Tattooist of Auschwitz.
As you can see this little book is a bit dog eared because so many of us around the office have wanted to read it. Having bought my son a copy for Christmas he said I had to read it and I am so glad I did.
Lale was born Ludvig Eisenberg in October 1916 in Krompachy, Slovakia. He was transported to Auschwitz on 23rd April 1942 and tattooed with the number 32407. Gita was born Gisela Fuhrmannova (Furman) in March 1925 in Vranov nad Topl'ou, Slovakia. She was transported to Auschwitz on 13th April 1942 and tattooed with the number 34902 and was re-tattooed by Lale when she transferred from Auschwitz to Birkenhau in July 1942.
It is unimaginable what happened to Lale & Gita over the next three years but throughout their time in the camp they stayed strong for each other. Lale made a promise to himself the day he arrived that he would survive this place and after falling in love with Gita he promised he would make sure she would survive the camp too so that she could become his wife.
I know reading stories from the Holocaust would put people off but the way in which Heather Morris re tells Lale Sokolov's account is more about their love story and when faced with adversity how they stayed strong for each other.
It is still incomprehensible to me that anyone could treat a fellow human being in such a way as the SS did in the camps. I wish I could say this was a brilliantly written book of fiction but sadly it is a true story as told by Lale himself. with Heather Morris as his facilitator to get their love story told and I would definitely recommend it.
Mx
I didn't realise it was a true story. I thought is was fiction and didn't want to read it because of the subject matter but will add it to my list of books to read now.
ReplyDeleteWhen you read it you could think that it was fiction purely by the way it has been written as a story rather than a memoir. But it is a true story and I don't usually read all the acknowledgements and authors notes but I did on this one as there is additional information as to what happened to them post Auschwitz Birkenhau and after all they had endured it was nice to know what had happened to them in their lives.
DeleteMx
I keep picking this one up and wondering whether to read it or not, I think I will at some point.
ReplyDeleteI was like you Jo I had seen it on the bookshelf many times and not picked it up but then I bought my son a copy for Christmas as this is a part of history he has an interest in mainly because you can believe it happened and on such a large scale. A colleague then bought a copy into the office having read it and recommended we should all read it and we have and I am glad I did.
DeleteMx
I've spotted this at the library a few times but, like a few others, haven't picked it up. I'll definitely give it a go now. x
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing too graphic, Lale has obviously described somethings that went on but not in too much detail. It was more about he and Gita were going to survive and their lives post Auschwitz.
DeleteMx
A friend lent me this book, it's very good. I was shocked to find Mengele in the book. I'd heard about him and his horrific treatment of twins, he was awful. This video talks about him, it's very powerful when the lady talks about forgiving him. Having watched this video first, before reading the story, made it somehow worse because you knew what he was capable of. Cx https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdgPAetNY5U&t=680s
ReplyDeleteSorry, I meant to say if you can, have a watch of the video. The power of forgiveness is amazing, so freeing. The video is powerful not just in getting 'her' story told but the sadness and utter disbelief that people would shun her for taking this route in her life. I for one take my hat off to her, after all she's suffered, all that she has lost... she has done a remarkable thing and her joy in forgiving, letting go and experiencing a lightness and peace is awesome.
DeleteIn case there's a problem finding it on the link, it's called -
'I survived the Holocaust twins experiments'. Cx