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  • The Tattooist of Auschwitz

  • A Novel
  • Written by: Heather Morris
  • Narrated by: Richard Armitage
  • Length: 7 hrs and 25 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (2,608 ratings)

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The Tattooist of Auschwitz

Written by: Heather Morris
Narrated by: Richard Armitage
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Publisher's Summary

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

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

Average Customer Ratings
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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent content w an obvious recording flaw

its disappointing that a book of this quality has an obvious error where every instance of the main characters name or sentence that uses his name has been rerecorded. Obviously no early qc measures were taken.

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13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Great book, horrible performance

This was a very good book but the performance ruined it. The recording sounds cut together with different voices and it's very poorly produced. If you want to read this I would recommend buying the actual book, not downloading this recording.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I riveting book of survival and love

This story is one we must never forget. The true story of the survival of humanity and never ending true love.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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The Tattooist of Auschwitz

Such a heart wrenching story of survival, love, horror, darkest side of history & humanity. Society needs to take note and not repeat these mistakes. It's a slippery slope.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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A must must MUST read!!!

Wow. Words cannot describe how incredible this story is! How two people can meet in such horrendous circumstances, fall in love and live their lives to the fullest with the deepest of love is something everyone should strive for (not the horrendous circumstances, it is always heartbreaking to hear how the Jews, gypsies, and POWs were treated in the camps). My heart is overflowing with joy at the ending of this story, but is breaking at the horrors of it. This is a book everyone must read/listen to! You will not regret it!!

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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A heart-wrenching read!

We have no idea, in the world we live in in Canada, what Jewish people had to succumb to. I have a heart full of love for these people and this story shows that love can last through the atrociousness of war!

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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BEST. BOOK. EVER!

This book is a huge eye opener to the personal trials and tribulations of this era. I am so happy I was able to get this book and I will recommend it to everyone I know. My heart is beyond full for the bravery of each person and they are truly hero’s.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Simply Amazing

The most touching story I’ve listened to. This is a must listen, a story of love.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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Great audible book

What an ispirational story within horrible circumstances, great book, will recommend to all my friends and family.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Start to finish in a day

The book was, overall, great. Some of the sentences in the novel were a little heavy handed when it came to description, prose, etc which made me want to give it four stars instead of five but goooootdamn the subject matter is heavy and gripping. The narration is next level of course. Listened to this in one day. Worth a listen.

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2 people found this helpful