The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

Here is what it is about...

Based on interviews that were conducted with Holocaust survivor and Auschwitz-Birkenau tattooist Ludwig (Lale) Sokolov—a love story in the midst of atrocity.

In April 1942, Lale Sokolov, a Slovakian Jew, is forcibly transported to the concentration camps at Auschwitz-Birkenau. When his captors discover that he speaks several languages, he is put to work as a Tätowierer (the German word for tattooist), tasked with permanently marking his fellow prisoners.

Imprisoned for over two and a half years, Lale witnesses horrific atrocities and barbarism—but also incredible acts of bravery and compassion. Risking his own life, he uses his privileged position to exchange jewels and money from murdered Jews for food to keep his fellow prisoners alive.

One day in July 1942, Lale, prisoner 32407, comforts a trembling young woman waiting in line to have the number 34902 tattooed onto her arm. Her name is Gita, and in that first encounter, Lale vows to somehow survive the camp and marry her.

Here is what I thought....

     To fall in love during the bleakest time in all of history seems nearly impossible but to have that love give you hope that keeps you alive? Beautiful. Lale’s story is amazing and wonderful and almost unbelievable. I am so glad that I got to read and know him.  This book is not perfect (it has some choppy transitions) but it does not matter at all. This is a true story of the amazing human spirit and how much we need love to survive.  

Author's site: https://www.heathermorris.com.au/

Tell Me More: Stories About the 12 Hardest Things I'm Learning to Say by Kelly Corrigan

What it is about...

It’s a crazy idea: trying to name the phrases that make love and connection possible. But that’s just what Kelly Corrigan has set out to do here. In her New York Times bestselling memoirs, Corrigan distilled our core relationships to their essences, showcasing a warm, easy storytelling style. Now, in Tell Me More, she’s back with a deeply personal, unfailingly honest, and often hilarious examination of 12 essential phrases that turn the wheel of life.

What I thought...

This must be the Year of the Memoir for me because this is the second one I have read this year that has been 5 stars...more if I could.  Although Tell Me More is more an essay collection, I feel that this is also the story of a life, of love, and of loss. Corrigan tells of the hardest things she is learning to say but they are beautiful words we could all use more of in our lives; I love you, I know, No and Tell Me More. What a wonderful place the world would be if we all read this book and used these phrases more often!

I laughed out loud and cried several times while reading Tell Me More and used quite a few book darts as well-all signs of an excellent book!

Fave Quotes:

 “Being in our lives *as they are* is probably one of the most common struggles people have.” 

 “Like the padre said, life is a mystery to be lived. Live your mystery.” 

Author's site:  http://www.kellycorrigan.com/