The Tattooist of Auschwitz: A Novel


Unabridged Audiobook

Ratings
Book
1808
Narrator
324
Release Date
September 2018
Duration
7 hours 26 minutes
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.

“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.
Reviews
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Ria P.

Excellent story and narration.

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Alyssa P.

Beautiful story. Captivating. I enjoyed the narrator as well.

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Tammy H.

Wonderfully written and narrated story of love, struggle, brutality of war, human survival and miracles. The narrator was marvelous.

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Anonymous

Book was engaging from beginning to ending! Hope and love in the midst of the most vile and evil. Great reminder of the things we should be thankful for on a daily basis!

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Richard F.

I loved the story from its opening chapter to the ending which was so moving and memorable. I did not know this was SPOIL ALERT this was a true story until the Author’s notes were read to me at the tail end of this novel. Now I feel even more for all those men and women that suffered and died in the concentration camps revealed in this audio book. I have always had a problem realizing how all humanity could be stripped away in a period when the world seemed to go mad and has now seemed to want to forget. This book tugs at your heart but gives the reader a greater understanding of how much pain these people endured. I give it five stars. I was never bored but clung to each chapter. I hope others will listen to this book and come away as moved as I did.

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Anonymous

Excellent!!!!

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JILL V.

Highly recommended

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Lanette F.

Very well written/narrated

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Debbie J.

Couldn’t quit listening. What a captivating, but eye opening story.

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Lgower2003

This book is amazing! Such and incredible story. I loved it!!

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Kathleen T.

Unbelievable story of survival and love. Narration was amazing - variety of accents and voices making it feel like you were really listening to each character

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Anne B.

My first book on audio books. Beautiful story, love the narrator.

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Rachel R.

Beautiful story. I couldn't put it down. Keep your Kleenex handy while you listen. Wonderful tribute to the lives and hardships of this couple's lives. Narrator was also great and added extra warmth and compassion to the story.

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James H.

I found the narrator's accent and attempts to use German and Russian accents off-putting. Perhaps it is due to the way the book was written.

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Anonymous

Wonderful!

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Sonya B.

The book has a wonderful story that held my attention every second. If I could give more than 5 stars, I would give it a 10.

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Maria R.

Loved this Bitter sweet story with great narration.

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Anonymous

If there can be such a thing as an upbeat story of the concentration camps run by the Germans, this is such a story. However, it's not really upbeat. It is a very good story about a time in history that MUST NEVER be forgotten.

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Christina G.

If you liked where the crawdads sing, you will like this one. Loved that this was based on a story of a man's life. We must learn about the past so that we can see the signs of it repeating itself. A very good story about perseverance and love.

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Anonymous

good book

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Anonymous

Loved this series

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Amanda W.

Captivating and well narrated.

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Tracy A.

A heartbreaking story that grabbed from the beginning and would let me go until I finished the book. Great story and narration.

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Katfish

This book is quite tough to handle but is well worth the read. How people can be so inhumane is unbelievable, but the main character’s grace and kindness is a beautiful juxtaposition.

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Shannon A.

This was a phenomenal book and a must read!!

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Anonymous

LOVED this very awful and beautiful book

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Taylor P.

This book and narration were wonderful! This is my first experience with Audiobooks and it was a great one to start with. I ended up listening to it at a faster speed, but it was still very easy to listen to at a faster speed. I highly recommend this book!

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Robert B.

Amazingly well written. Hope is strength. Love this man.

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Marcy Smith

Bravo! Inspiring life example as to how to wake up each day, despite our circumstances, and be grateful for life.

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Suzanne M.

Narrator did a great job with accents and kept me engaged!

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Carolyn K.

This book woke me up to many more things that weny on at these two camps.

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Anonymous

Well researched. An inspirational journey through horrific times.

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Jorjita56

It was to the point. It makes me realize how fortunate I’ve been to live during a time where this type of hatred was not as prominent. I found myself feeling very stressed for Lali and Geta over the abhorrent treatment. And to realize they did many things we normally might not do just to stay alive through that horrible period of time. The narration was good and captured some of the sorrow of two young people desperate to live and be in love.

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Angelia H.

This is an amazing book, one I could read again and again.

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Elizabeth M.

A mesmerizing, heartbreaking and yet hopeful story of incredible resilience, survival and love. We must never forget this terrible time in history in order not to repeat it.

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Anonymous

Great book

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Claudia G.

I did like the book even though I knew the subject would be depressing. I was surprised that although it delf with a time in history we would all like to forget the presence of hope and love made me pay more attention to the daily interactions and dreams of the future

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Pat C.

Great book.

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Laura K.

The story is a good one, but the writing lacks oomph. The sentences lean short and the vocabulary is so boring that, a short ways in, I wondered if I had accidentally purchased a piece of juvenile fiction. I was moved to tears several times when the book described the cruel horrors of the Nazi concentration camps and death marches, although usually these were described only briefly, as the focus of the story is the love story of the tattooist and another prisoner. I found a number of details in the book far-fetched, from penicillin being smuggled into the camp to the top commander's multi-year relationship with one of the imprisoned women. Looking it up afterward, I learned that the book has been heavily criticized -- including by Holocaust historians -- as rife with factual errors. So although the book kept me occupied during a long boring drive on the interstate, I really cannot recommend it to others.

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Misty E.

loved this book. well read...

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Jamie

What a great story. Well written and well read.

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Sheila L

WOW! What a story! I'm sure there was a little extra added here and there for drama, but wholly smokes, these people endured way too much and my heart breaks for them. The writings held me captive throughout the reading; I felt like I was there watching over his shoulder, experiencing everything he did. Such a strong man to have endured so much, with such grace and incredible perseverance while simultaneously being sad yet filled with so much historical information. We must never let this happen again! I’m grateful he decided to live and later on share his story before he passed. Excellent narration, too. This one is a must read [listen]. You won’t regret it.

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Marshall H.

amazing story and excellently told by the narrator

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Caroline D.

Captivating!

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Anonymous

The story was lacking the historical facts, sometimes ot sounds like a school experince not a death camp. The narrator, on the other hand, was the most brilliant there is.

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Anonymous

Amazing. Heart-breaking and touching beyond words. I couldn’t stop listening. Ended up finishing it in two days. Highly recommend!

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Jeff H.

Very good story. I'm always saddened by the incomprehensible suffering the prisoners of those camps endured. I also feel a sense of awe at the super human courage and strength the victims mustered!

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Cyn K.

I haven't had a book grip me like this in a long time. It was not only beautifully written but the narrative is a well-told and engaging story (if not also horrific). The narrator was spot on with accents and sealed the deal for me. Excellent all the way around.

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LeeAnn M.

Loved the book and the narration. Very well done.

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Francois S.

It was difficult to listen to this book because you realize that all the small things you are stressing over is a walk in the park compared to what this book tells you the prisoners in the camps went through. Nice listen but be prepared for the goosebumps it will make you have.

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Jme K.

Fascinating and full of hope.

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Donna P.

Well written... Well read...

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Debra C.

A very engaging and heartbreaking book from beginning to end. Had me on the edge of my seat!

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Latoya L.

I have been seeing this book for the past couple of years, but bypassed it because of what it was about. Well......I'm happy ai gave it a chance. It is an open and detailed account of what happened at one of the concentration camps during the holocaust. Lale was a Jew who was a prisoner made to tattooist. He wasn't like many other prisoners. He was given more food because of his job, instead of eating it all, he shared it with many of the prisoners. While in Auschwitz, he fell in love with another prisoner Gita. Even under the hardships they were able to love. They found each other afterwards, married, face another hardships, escaped started another life, had a son. #Book25of2021 #bookworm #whatsnext #GreatRead #Holocaust #LoveUnderUnusualCircumstances

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Melissa T.

I’ve never rooted so hard for a main character. What an amazing story!! The authors note at the end was a wonderful finale.

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Patricia I.

Excellent read

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Caroline L.

Found the characters very unconvincing. Perhaps it was the narration.

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Chribarn

Gut wrenchingly horrible and overwhelmingly touching all in one. Love LS this!

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Teresa V.

An excellent book and narrator. Highly recommend

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Clint B.

Beautifully put together. A stark image of the tragedy of evil dictators and loss of freedom. And, a vivid reminder of how grateful we should be for what we have in life.

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Angela S.

This is one of those books that I believe everyone should read / listen to once in their life to remind us all of history and to be compassionate to each other and all living things.

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Tracy B.

One of my all-time favorite books. Deeply moving and couldn't wait to listen everyday. Narration was superb.

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Peri P.

Amazingly heart wrenching. Great book!

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STEPHANIE WITHERS

Very good, very moving, very sad

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Anonymous

Story was incredible. Narrator made the women in the book sound like air heads. Not impressive but his accents were good.

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Suzanne M.

Very interesting Different twist to other holocaust books. Very personel

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Terence K.

As a fan of Historical Fiction, I had heard a lot about this book. It did live up to the hype. The story was very sad, but also informative and interesting. It was very hard to stop listening, and I finished it in a few days. The interview at the end also gave great insight.

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Matthew P.

This book is absolutely amazing. Fantastic writing. Fantastic narration. A horrific, beautiful, devastating and compelling story- a story everyone should read, lest we forget the unspeakableness of that moment in history.

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Janice Hall

Absolutely riveting. I'd stop and fact check not believing it was historically factual & every time it was.

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Debra B.

Engaging story of survival

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Beverly H.

Fantastic read!

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Tana D.

The characters were believable in a time of unbelievable cruelty. So hard to understand how that it is possible for people to treat one another like this, and yet the desire to survive and overcome was triumphant! Really enjoyed the book.

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Robert L.

Lovely story, powerful.

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Sara M.

I found the story to be captivating however I didn’t like the ending. I also didn’t like how they didn’t really focus much on how it really was durning that time.

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Tonya Darden

A story sharing the plight of the prisoners of WW2. What a horrific time. I enjoyed this glimpse into history.

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JulieB

I really enjoyed this book. The narrator did a great job of making the characters come to life.

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Anonymous

Powerful story and wonderful narration

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Anonymous

Amazing story of life and service Lale was able to perform in Aushwitz. His love and for Gita as well for others who expressed fear and need helped Lale keep his powerful confidence alive for many. The author was able listen strongly believe his ordeals with percussion and art. I learned much abut human wills and hearts. I loved this story

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Nicole R.

I loved the story and the narration. Was a little disappointed with the ending, it seemed a little anticlimactic but overall worth the listen!

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Heather J.

Wonderful, heart-wrenching, and overwhelmingly powerful. It makes you truly grateful for humanity and the strength that can be present when people endure incredible hardships. The narrator’s voices for the individual characters makes the story come to life!

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James J.

A nice one

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Sergio A.

Loved the narrator and the story...really makes a difference in enjoying the book.

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Joni

Very realistic as if you were there. So tragic this place ever existed!

Excellent book. Couldn’t put it down!

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Amanda K.

Wonderful story of finding love in a place of hell.

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Molly W.

Wonderful story. Captivated from the beginning to the end.

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Elizabeth D.

A heart wrenching story of truth, love and courage against all odds. I loved it.

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Van J.

Very well written and the narration was outstanding

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Matt A.

It’s a story of the power of human spirit and will to survive! Must read!

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Nicole O.

Absolutely amazing storey!! Loved it!!

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Diane M W.

It was hard to believe it’s bases on true events. Some of the hard ships that were eased by things that seemed a little too unbelievable. Like being given the jewels. Like finding her after the war just walking down the street.

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Eunice M.

what a great book! I love it.

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Anna B.

I loved this book. I rated it a 4 due to the last part of the book being rushed. The entire book was slow moving (in a great way) and filled with detail. The last few chapters seemed as if they were a synopsis of what the author wanted to write. I wanted the same pace and detail that I had enjoyed the rest of the book. Otherwise. it's a beautiful story and narrated very well.

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Suzproctor

Beautiful story!

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Loralee V.

This book reached down and tugged on my heartstrings ... a reminder of the heart of survival amidst unbelievable situations.

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Susie G.

Such a beautiful love story Love It

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DakuMcQ

Such a heavy book but beautifully written. The narration was so wonderful. Bravo.

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Dru C.

A great book about survival and finding joy in the midst of it all.

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Julie W.

Narration was great and with the different accents it was easy to visualize the characters. What a tremendous and probably difficult story to share.

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Kim R.

Beautiful story. .Narration was excellent

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Dawn B.

Narration excellent. Hard to turn off...so difficult to imagine the horrors these beautiful people had to endure. Hard to put down, captivating.

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Sue D.

Captivating, Unbelievable story of Love and survival. *****

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Dina G.

Once I got over the heaviness of the horror of the subject, I was captivated by the characters and the story. The narrator was fabulous. At first he seemed a bit monotoned, but then I realized to over dramatize the reading would detract from it. His language proficiency was impressive as well as his accents. I also really enjoyed the author telling us about how he came to write the story and the son of the main character's memories of his parents and what they told him. All in all the story itself is amazing, the narration so well done, I feel I have a better understanding of what the victims and survivors of World War two concentration camps had to endure.

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Andy D.

I couldn’t stop listening, one of the best audio books ever.

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Unknown U.

Loved every word!

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Mayda T.

Beautiful story, well done

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Anonymous

It was a wonderful book from the beginning to the end. What a wonderful love story through great horror and tragedy. I first read the book and then listened to it. Such evil and yet there was kindness as well. I loved this book.

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Heather K.

Wonderful book would recommend !!!

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Karen H.

A phenomenal book. I didn’t want to stop listening, but I didn’t want it to end. I appreciated the author’s comments at the end of the book. Narration was incredible. A must read!

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Gary Y.

Must read for anyone Cover to cover your feeling extreme emotions over the plights of fellow human beings.

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Barb S.

Remarkable story - mesmerized from the first moment - the narration is superb. Don’t miss it.

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Jeri F.

Captivating story of Auschwitz survivor, Lale and his love Gita. Makes you appreciate how fortunate you are not to experience such cruelty.

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Leanne E.

Words cannot express the amount of emotion the narrator was able to make me feel. This was my first audiobook. What a great, well written book. Thank you for sharing it with us.

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Malnie B.

A captivating a love story. I love the narrators accents; it made you feel like you’re in the story.

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Sharon R.

A beautiful story of will, determination and perseverance!!! I found myself thinking about the characters and the story long after having to put the audiobook away!!!

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Suzie K.

It was spell bounding. Awesome!!!

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Mary G.

This was a fantastic book! Not sure if it was a download glitch but had trouble with bookmarks.

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Jennifer S.

Awesome listen.... the narrator deserves an award for an amazing rendition.

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Shannon B.

Wonderful book and narration.

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Jodie R.

What an amazing story. This was beautifully written and so emotional. My heart broke when hearing how awful the people were treated. I’m so glad Lale got to tell his story so it’ll never be forgotten. I loved the narrator and the different accents used.

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Caroline J.

Amazing story of love and survival. I want to listen to it again right now!

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Kimberly W.

Really enjoyed this book!! Fantastic narrator. Truly an interesting listen!

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Pamela H.

Great narration and It kept you interested from start to finish.

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Amber W.

Amazing, heart wrenching story. The narration was so engaging and really adds color to the story.

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Jennifer M.

I wouldn't recommend this for young kids as the love story gets rather steamy. However, the story as a whole is beautiful and authentic. It's very well done and shows the true atrocities of the Nazis.

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Kassandra P.

Enthralling story that keeps you thinking even after you have completed the book. Highly recommend.

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Jordyn R.

I actually really like the narration of this book. The story is very well written. I would absolutely recommend.

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Mark S.

Incredible.

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Kelly G.

This story is very well written. I did not care for the editing of the narration - way too choppy.

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Beverly H.

This was a great book, disturbing but so real, unimaginable what can and has happened

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Carly S.

Very moving true love story written about a time in our history when the world truly was a horrible place...especially for Jews. It’s amazing the path and tenacity of two people to survive and love during so many trials and tribulations. You will not be disappointed with this story!

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Neal R.

Incredibly moving story!

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Nicole S.

Beautiful, heartbreaking, inspiring.

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Sandra T.

Riveting account of another survivor of the unsurvivable.

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Elizabeth V.

Fascinating, horrifying and hopeful. I have read and watched countless stories about the Holocaust and this is perhaps one of the deepest delves into daily life inside one of Hitler’s evil concentration camps that I have ever heard. I absolutely fell in love with Lale and Gita and all of the good people who dared to help them in even the smallest of ways. The fact that this is a true account is devastating and yet beautiful in the midst of such horror. Thank you Lale for sharing yours and Gita’s story so that we may never forget.

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Angela D.

This is an amazing story! I couldn't turn it off.

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Aida S.

Hola! Me encantó el tatuador de Auschwitz, el inglés del narrador es excelente, y la novela es muy interesante. Es una novela excelente para quien quiere practicar inglés.

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Deborah L.

I loved this book. Amazing true story of people's will to live. Wonderful narration.

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Angela T.

Very good story and narration.

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Nancy K.

This is an incredible book. It was hard to listen to the atrocities that were inflicted upon the concentration camp prisoners but this is based on a true story and it is important to remember that. It is not only a story of brutality, but also a story of people’s will to live, help each other, to love, and find meaning in their lives.

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Angela R.

One of the most beautiful stories I have ever heard, beautifully written and read. 5 plus stars!

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Anonymous

Beautiful, sad and Inspiring. Thank you for telling his story.

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Lisa S.

I was captivated by this story. A very good book. The narration made it great!

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Nancy K.

Excellent story. I loved the end of the book.

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Lisa M.

Loved this. Different perspective than similar stories because this is the story of the Tätowierer and all of the moral conflicts he felt, plus an amazing and true love story. Wonderful narrator.

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Stacey S.

This was a riveting story of the inner world of concentration camp during WW II.

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Georgiana B.

Heart wrenching account, but amazing love story. Great book.

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Marcella B.

beautiful story really got to me..

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Stephen T.

A must read for all.

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Sarah Z.

Incredible and moving! Must have tissues near by while you listen. The narrator is also amazing!

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Patricia T.

Just when you think you can't read another WWII story another great one captures your heart.

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Lizette T.

The author and narrator did a beautiful job telling this story. This book will stay in my heart.

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Susan R.

Well written book and heart-wrenching story.

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Charles H.

Great read so many parallels to the world we live in today Scary and sad Just the way I like it

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