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Welcome to Week 3 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Tattooist of Auschwitz.

What did you think of this section? One of the most surprising things to me was the fact that the guards at the camp wanted to play a soccer game with the prisoners. It was crazy to imagine that the young guards were looking to have fun and be active, even while working a job that required them to routinely murder people. It was so sickening that ash rained down on the players as they played. I can’t imagine walking around all day with the remains of murdered people falling down everywhere. I really don’t know how anyone was able to keep going. People have such an incredible capability for survival. Another surprising thing was the fact that the SS guards were so superstitious and gave extra things to prisoners that found four leaf clovers. The guards did so many “childish” things at some points, and then at others, they were brutal killing machines. 

Josef Mengele is mentioned in this section. He was known as the “Angel of Death” and did horrible experiments on patients in the camps. If you would like to learn more about him and the terrifying things he did during his time in the camps, check out this article. 

Lale mentions that The Red Cross were coming to the camp to inspect the conditions. He mentions that he did get some extra rations, but Lale is not sure if The Red Cross ever came to the camp at all. According to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum, The Red Cross did not visit any of the death camps. An emissary was sent to the camp, but he was not allowed in the gates. If you want to read more, check out this article from the museum. You can also check out this article to read more about a Red Cross visit to one of the ghettos. It’s so sad that the Nazis were able to fool so many people about the realities of what they were doing. 

One of the striking scenes in this section was when Lale was called to a crematorium to look at the tattooed numbers on two corpses. That scene was disgusting and horrifying and showed the depth of the depravity of the camps and the guards. But, at the end of the scene, Lale yells at Baretski, and Baretski accepts the verbal attack. I just couldn’t imagine their dynamic. On one hand, we see prisoners being murdered for stepping out of line or going to the bathroom, but on the other, Lale is able to scream at Baretski and live. The conditions that the guards and prisoners existed in must have made everyone act abnormally all the time. There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to the way the guards react. It seems like they want to be friendly in some instances, but in others, they aren’t bothered at all by the death and destruction all around them. In the last chapter of this section, Baretski even admits that he knows that Lale is trading items on the black market, and he asks Lale to get him something for a girlfriend. It seems like Baretski wouldn’t let Lale do anything against the rules, but he doesn’t seem to care about it. 

What stuck out to you the most from this section? Do you think Baretski is going to continue to give privileges to Lale? Are you anxious for the camp to be liberated? What do you think will happen in the last chapters? 

Before you go, check out the video below to learn about how hair and make up played an important role in the screen adaptation of the book. Can you imagine how emotional it would be to shave your head and lose that part of your identity? 

Thanks for following along this week! I hope you’ll leave a comment to let me know what you thought of this section. Enjoy finishing the book for next week’s discussion!

Welcome to Week 2 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Tattooist of Auschwitz.

How did you find the reading this week? This is one of those books that it feels weird to say that it’s good or that I’m liking it since the subject matter is so serious and the events are so horrendous. Did you feel that way while reading? I like Lale, and I appreciate his story and his journey, but it’s not enjoyable to read about all of the unimaginable things that happen to him and everyone at the camp. 

One thing that I kept thinking throughout this first section was that people are so brave to attempt to survive in horrific circumstances. Lale, and the people he encounters, are experiencing and seeing things that I can’t even comprehend, but they still try to survive every single day. And, they still try to make connections with each other and even try to find love. I just can’t understand how they can keep going. After his first night in camp, Lale sees two people shot while using the latrine, but he still continues on. I thought that scene was especially disturbing because it proved that even if the prisoners follow all of the directions, they can still be senselessly killed. 

Near the beginning of the book, Lale gets incredibly sick, but the men in his bunk work together to save his life. What did you think of the fact that the men in the bunk were willing to help another person, even though they were suffering? While recovering from his illness, Lale meets the other tattooist and gets the opportunity to take the job. Were you surprised that Lale was first reluctant to take the job? Did you agree with the reasoning that the people were going to be tattooed regardless, so he should take the job to ensure that they are compassionately tattooed? 

Lale gets a lot of perks with his new job. He uses his freedom to help people all throughout the camp. Could you believe all the risks he took throughout the first section? I couldn’t believe once he started hiding jewels. One of the things he is able to do with the supplies he’s trading is get medicine for Gita. Did it surprise you that Lale was able to get so many favors from Baretski? Not only did he help Lale find Gita and learn her name, but also, after she was sick, he got her moved to a lighter work assignment. I was surprised by their dynamic. 

What did you think of Cilka? There’s been some controversy about the portrayal of Cilka in this book and the sequel Morris wrote entitled, Cilka’s Journey. I appreciated what a good friend she was to Gita, and she definitely used her influence in this portrayal to help others. 

What do you think of Gita and Lale’s relationship? It’s interesting how quickly they move in their relationship at the camp, but I guess if your life is constantly on the line, you don’t waste time with a long courtship. Were you surprised at how quickly Lale became enamored with Gita? 

Are you interested to keep reading? Do you think anyone will find out about all of the contraband items he has under his bed? What kind of punishment would he get for that? Do you think he and Gita will be able to keep meeting each other in the next section? 

Before you go, check out this video in which author, Heather Morris, talks about meeting Lale for the first time. I can’t imagine what it would have been like to hear him talk about his experiences. It would have been so emotional and hard to listen to. 

I hope you’ll leave a comment to let me know what you thought of this first section. Make sure to read the next 9 chapters before joining us again next week. 

Welcome to Week 1 of the Online Book Club discussion of the The Tattooist of Auschwitz. 

The Online Book Club, if you’ve never joined us before, is a book discussion group that takes place entirely online. Each week, I write a new blog post that talks about different aspects of the book, and you can interact directly with me and other readers by leaving your comments. Check back each week and see what new topics we’re talking about.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz is a historical fiction book that follows the real life story of Holocaust survivor, Lale Sokolov. While imprisoned in Auschwitz, Sokolov worked as a tattooist, putting identification numbers on all of the new prisoners. The story follows Sokolov as he attempts to survive in the camp, and shows how he was able to find hope and even love in the hellish camps. 

If you want to follow along with us, but you aren’t interested in reading the book, you can always watch the show on Peacock. Don’t have a subscription to Peacock? No problem! You can request one of the Roku Express 4K+ Streaming Devices at the library. Check out the trailer above if you want to get a feel for the how the story plays out on screen. Feel free to still leave comments on the blog posts, even if you’re only watching the series and not reading the book. 

We’ll read the first nine chapters for next week, so make sure to read those before reading the next blog post. I can’t wait to hear from you in the comments.