The Tattooist of Auschwitz

This is a very difficult book review to write. Not because The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris is a Holocaust book. Rather, this is probably one of the most hopeful Holocaust books that I've ever read. I just don't want to give too much of it away.

The title character, Lale, is a Slovakian Jew who volunteered to leave his family, thinking it might save them, and get taken to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Because he spoke many languages, he was selected to become a Tätowierer (the German word for tattooist), permanently marking his fellow prisoners.

Lale always considered himself a flirter. He learned how to treat women from his mother and his sister. He used those skills, as well as kindness and compassion, to face the worst of humanity. His acts improved the lives of many of the prisoners he came in contact with.

This Holocaust novel is a love story and humanity in the midst of a death camp. What's especially lovely is that it's based on a true story.