World at War, People in Love

The book everyone is talking about is The Tattooist of Auschwitz (2018)  by Heather Morris. I try to avoid holocaust stories but somehow they always find me.  So many people raved about this one that I borrowed the audio version from my library. Within a few minutes, I was hooked.  

The book starts on the cattle car. Lale, survives by doing one of the most memorable jobs in the camp, he tattoos the numbers on the new prisoners. Due to his privileged position, he witnesses much more than the typical captive. Therefore we the reader, (or the listener) is exposed to so many nazi horrors. The Tattooist of Auschwitz is going on my list of all-time best holocaust reads. The story of Lale Sokolov and the woman he meets while tattooing her will stay with me for a very long time. 

Although the story is true and written based on the recollections of a survivor, it reads like a novel. Due to some invented dialogue and filled in details, the author opted to release the book as fiction.  Share this book with as many people as possible. It’s all of our obligation to never let the world forget! 

If you want a much gentler World War II love story, read The Long Flight Home (2019)  by Alan Hlad. Ollie lives in Maine before America enters the war. A series of tragic circumstances lead him to attempt to enlist in the Royal Air Force.  It’s also the story of Susan and her grandfather who raise pigeons in the British countryside. The pigeons are both pets and weapons of war. 

Told with gentle, tender language this cozy love story set during World War II deals with fascinating true events. There is no mention of the holocaust or Judaism but both Susan and Ollie risk their lives to stop the Nazis.

Both books shine a light on love in difficult circumstances.