This book is categorized as a fiction novel, but it's the true story of Lale Eisenberg and Gita Furman, who met in 1942 at the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland. Since Lale knew several languages (Russian, Czech, German, French, Hungarian, Polish), he was assigned to be the Tatowierer (tatooist) for all people brought to the Auschwitz and Birkenau camps. As the Tatowierer, he was given more leeway than the other prisoners, and he was able to help many of the suffering. He was good at watching people in power (guards, etc) and testing them out to see if they would be willing to overlook some of what he was doing to help others. He was also just incredibly kind and non-judgmental of all people, which always helps. Lale personified the phrase "kindness matters" - if we are allowed to personify a phrase!
Lale was able to make a connection with two men (father & son) who worked at Auschwitz but lived in town. These two men were able to get Lale food, medicine and other supplies, which Lale then distributed secretly to the prisoners within the camps. He paid the men with gems & money that were taken from the prisoners by the Nazi Germans. Gita (who Lale fell in love with at first sight after seeing her at Auschwitz) and her friends worked in the Canada bunker, sorting through the person items of the prisoners. Gita and the other women would sneak gems into their pockets and would pass them along to Lale. Lale would bribe the female guard watching over them with chocolate to get some alone time with Gita in the Canada.
It's Lale's kindness and bravery and intelligence that saves his life - and Gita's life as well - more than once. Some of the kind things he does to assist other prisoners and guards builds up a level of loyalty toward him. It's pretty remarkable that Lale and Gita were still living after Auschwitz is "freed" by the Russian Army. I use that term ("freed") lightly. They both could have easily been killed at that point, and for months after that, were it not for some fast-thinking, risk-taking and down right luck on each of their parts. They were separated at Auschwitz when the Russians arrived, so they each made their own way to safety - and eventually back to each other.
I love reading about the incredibly brave men and women who put themselves out there to help others in the most horrific moments in history. This is an incredible true story of two survivors whose love for each other trumps all else. I really loved it.
Wendy's Rating: *****
