The non-fictional account of Lale Sokolov’s life is a gripping narration. The writer has been able to bring to fore the details of events and emotions that marked Sokolov’s experiences of being imprisoned in Auschwitz, tattooing numbers on fellow prisoners and living with the fear of being killed. Among the prisoners of the holocaust, you could say that Sokolov was privileged. Yet the horrors of the prison, living as a jew in that time, I am sure continued to haunt him for the rest of his life. This is evident in his thoughts. One of the reasons that the story continued to remain hidden is because he feared for his wife’s life while she was alive. Although the world changed, Jews, in whichever nation they managed to survive, continue to live in the fear of being caught again. Such is the horror of mid-twentieth century Germany. This book, like many other holocaust tales, makes me question the potential of humans of turning into evil. It is not Hitler alone, but the vast masses he managed to convince of his weird beliefs and theories, that surprises me. History is witness to the power that a leader with good communication skills can hold over the masses. It is equally surprising that we haven’t learnt from our past.
Sokolov’s tale is not just one of horror. It is also a love story. The tattooist falls in love with a fellow prisoner he inks. They continue to meet clandestinely with the help of some other inmates, for a long time, before finally escaping and finding each other. The world changed and they managed to make a life for themselves in far off New Zealand.
There are some disputes about the events that Lale describes in the book, but I would give the man some benefit of doubt as having seen absolute horror in his youth. Like all books on holocaust, I recommend this book to everyone. It is not a terse book. It is also available as an audiobook on storytel, in a kindle edition and paperback. Pick it up and read. We must read about the horrors of our past if we hope to become better people and not scar each other forever.