The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

   I read this one for the coronacation reading challenge, although, to be honest, it had been sitting on my TBR pile for a while just waiting for something to compel me to pick it up.   Holocaust stories are hard, and in these times it was especially so.  But also, it was even more inspiring if that is possible.  This isn't the first time in history that bad things have happened to large groups of people.  We have gotten through bad things before and we will get through this.  Honestly, sitting in my house doesn't really compare to the horrors that Lale and Gita faced.

I loved Lale's character but agree that the story didn't come off feeling "real" but more of an amalgamation of stories told through one character for ease of story telling.   That said,  I admired Lale's sacrifice for his family, his absolute fortitude in the face of so much horror.  The part in the story where the gypsies are rounded up and then the ash on Lale's face-  I cried and cried. 

It was amazing to me how, in the face of so much horror, Lale and Gita still managed to find one another.  Through it all, they kept their promises to one another.  That certainly is what real love, in my opinion, looks like.

I thought this book was a beautiful love story and more than that, a tribute to the triumph of the human spirit. It presents both the best and absolute worst in all of us. I was really interested in Cilke's story and was interested to learn that there is more about her in another book.  Put that one on my TBR list too. 

I gave this one 4 out of 5 stars.