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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

#1 New York Times Bestseller and #1 International Bestseller Now a Peacock Original Series starring Harvey Keitel and Melanie Lynskey

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.

“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-bestselling author of The Rosie Project

In April 1942, Lale Sokolov, a Slovakian Jew, is forcibly transported to the concentration camps at Auschwitz-Birkenau. When his captors discover that 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 over 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 re-creation 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.

20th Century Fiction Historical Fiction World Literature Survival Holocaust Heartfelt Inspiring Scary Tearjerking Romance

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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.

A good quick listen

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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!

Captivating

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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!

Powerful

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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.

A truly amazing story.

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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.

Just inspiring

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