Lale is a Slovakian Jew. He hands himself in for deportation when his government collaborates with the Nazi regime. He is sent to Auschwitz where his skills and knowledge offer him a degree of protection. Lale is moved to the relative safety of the gypsy camp and is responsible for tattooing every new arrival. One woman catches his eye and love blossoms in the most terrifying place imaginable…
The Tattooist of Auschwitz is a fictional account of the true war experiences of Lale. There has been some controversy about alleged errors but I think this book brings the camp to life and it is clearly fiction and not intended as a factual account.
I have read several books set in Auschwitz as well as non fiction books. Most of the fiction centres upon women and their experiences so I enjoyed reading about a man’s perspective especially as he worked with the author to give his account.
Hope and horror intermingle as the plot unfolds. Luck plays a huge role in Lale’s story as does the determination to survive at any cost. Love gives him a purpose but he also relies on the kindness of others and not getting caught doing dangerous transactions to secure better conditions for himself and his friends.
The book doesn’t shy away from the horrors of the camp. A certain amount of detachment is required by the characters to survive the trauma of their experiences. This translates into a simple narrative style to focus on events rather than emotion.
The Tattooist of Auschwitz is a gripping story, made more poignant by its basis on real life events.
Book blurb
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 more than 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.
A vivid, harrowing, and ultimately hopeful re-creation of Lale Sokolov’s experiences as the man who tattooed the arms of thousands of prisoners with what would become one of the most potent symbols of the Holocaust, The Tattooist of Auschwitz is also a testament to the endurance of love and humanity under the darkest possible condition
Martha is a TV celebrity and her latest project is a programme investigating the disappearance of her teenage best friend Juliet almost 20 years ago. She makes contact with the third friend in their trio, Liv to help her solve the mystery. But Liv never gets her messages as they are intercepted by a lonely woman Casey…
Beautiful Liars is a psychological and mystery thriller set in the UK.
Juliet vanished and days later a local man David Crown disappeared too. The police decided that the pair had run away together or that David had killed her and gone on the run. Now her former best friend Martha wants to do a show about Juliet’s disappeance and find out if David was connected. She tries to get in touch with the third friend Liv but she doesn’t know that Liv moved house and her post is read by the new occupant Casey.
The book is narrated by Martha and Casey. Martha’s parts of the story drive the plot forwards as she investigates. Poor Casey, I felt just so sorry for her and her unhappy life. She is lonely and has mental instability, medical and weight issues. She believes she has an opportunity to make friends and help Martha but this delusion makes the investigation harder.
At times, I thought the pace was a little slow, then pow! There are some great twists that were completely unexpected. Both Martha and Casey are haunted by the past and their secrets are gradually revealed over the course of the book. There is plenty of emotion surrounding serious topics of alcoholism and eating disorders. I thought that the tension was maintained well and I was kept guessing until the end.
Beautiful Liars is an intriguing mystery with strong emotional and psychological elements.
Book blurb
Eighteen years ago Martha said goodbye to best friend Juliet on a moonlit London towpath.
The next morning Juliet’s bike was found abandoned at the waterside.
She was never seen again.
Nearly two decades later Martha is a TV celebrity, preparing to host a new crime show… and the first case will be that of missing student Juliet Sherman. After all these years Martha must reach out to old friends and try to piece together the final moments of Juliet’s life.
But what happens when your perfect friends turn out to be perfect strangers…?
The Empire Theatre is going from strength to strength under the care of Jack Treadwell and his team. But it isn’t all smooth sailing with his wife having writer’s block, his biological mother has a new romance, a starlet is involved in a death. There is also sabotage, intrigue and a feisty rat to contend with!
A Backstage Betrayal is the second book to feature The Empire Theatre in the 1920s. There is enough information about events in the first book to catch up but I would advise reading the first book as it is fab!
We meet the stars and backstage team of The Empire as they embark on bolstering their business. There are lots of plot threads and my favourite was the emotional journey of young widow Sally Blow as she dreams of a life on the stage. The contrast between Sally’s paltry existance and the opulence of the theatre is striking and I instantly warmed to her. But despite the glitz, the theatre is under pressure and even in danger. Extra glamour is provided by Lillian’s new fiance, an exiled foreign royal, and this leads to a cameo from a member of the British Royal Family.
I was swept up in the life of the theatre and the characters all sprang to life. The style of writing is engaging and easy to read. The historical elements of the plot were well researched and underpinned the social and cultural dimensions to the plot and characters dynamics. I found myself really caring about the characters and willing them to succeed as they battle against intrigue, personal adversity and a bold rat!
A Backstage Betrayal is a wonderful historical novel.
Book description
Get ready to step into the roaring twenties…
1926. Running a theatre may appear to be all about the showbiz, but times are hard at The Empire. Following a turbulent period Jack Treadwell, erstwhile proprietor, his mother Lillian, and his playwright wife Grace, know they need to get things back on track – and how better than with the annual pantomime, a new venture, and an all-singing all-dancing talent contest, showcasing the best performers around.
But could Lillian’s new admirer, Grand Duke Nikolai Kuznetsov, be bringing disaster in his wake? Will The Empire be caught up in the scandal surrounding West End star, Stella Stanmore? And what are their enemies in Highbridge planning?
While Jack and Grace fight to ensure the show does go on, a royal visitor raises the stakes and a young widow, Sally Blow, dares to dream that the talent contest might be her big break.
As the talent contest draws closer, tragedy strikes. Amid the glitz and glamour there are strange goings on and a plot afoot. Is everything Jack and Grace have worked so hard for about to come crashing down? And could this be curtains for The Empire theatre?
Musical theatre legend Michael Ball brings his trademark warmth, wit and glamour to this sparkling new novel.
On the way to work and I climbed in the car and discovered my AWESOME husband had set the radio to Christmas! This made me soooooo happy and I don’t care that it is only October (two packets of mince pies consumed so far in the last month…)
We have been mega busy these recent weekends and the kids have gone back to school feeling like they haven’t had a break. I made the decision that we would have a more chilled weekend and barely do anything. Oh, other than a full guinea pig clean, cutting 25 sets of guinea pig nails, weekly shop, swimming lessons, homework, a slightly fraught game of Ludo etc. Maybe not as relaxed as I planned…
Marion Crawford thinks her dream is to teach in the slums but instead she finds herself as governess to Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret Rose. Can she shape the future of the monarchy and make the social difference she believes possible…?
The Governess is an historical novel set around the Royal Family during the 1930s and 40s.
Marion has good intentions and initially wants to teach the poorest in society. However she is then convinced that she can help the nation in a different way by shaping the future of the aristocracy so they in turn can make a difference to the poor. She then comes to the notice of the Royal Family and begins a career at the palace, getting a front row seat for the dramatic historic twists that hanged the monarchy forever.
I felt very sorry for Marion as she puts her whole life on hold to support the Royals during the abdication crisis, WW2 and beyond. Her marriage is unhappy and childless and she wasted her best years on her royal charges. In light of modern revelations about royal private lives, the reaction to her ‘betrayal’ is an overreaction and I felt desperately sorry for the way she is treated. However the ending focuses on the love and affection that endured her whole life.
I felt immersed in Marion’s life and think the author has researched well the characters and historical era. The audio narration was enjoyable to listen to and helped to bring the plot and characters to life.
The Governess is a very enjoyable historical novel and perfect for royalty fans.
Book blurb
Sunday Times bestselling author Wendy Holden brings to life the unknown childhood years of one of the world’s most iconic figures, Queen Elizabeth II, and reveals the little-known governess who made Britain’s queen into the monarch we know today.
In 1933, twenty-two-year-old Marion Crawford accepts the role of a lifetime, tutoring their Royal Highnesses Elizabeth and Margaret Rose. Her one stipulation to their parents the Duke and Duchess of York is that she bring some doses of normalcy into the sheltered and privileged lives of the two young princesses.
At Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, and Balmoral, Marion defies oppressive court protocol to take the girls on tube trains, swimming at public baths, and on joyful Christmas shopping trips at Woolworth’s. From her ringside seat at the heart of the British monarchy she witnesses the upheaval of the Abdication and the glamour and drama of the 1937 Coronation.
During the war, as Hitler’s Heinkels fly over Windsor, she shelters her charges in the castle dungeons (not far from where the Crown Jewels are hidden in a biscuit tin). Afterwards, she is there when Elizabeth first sets eyes on Philip. But being beloved governess and confidante to the Windsor family has come at a cost. She puts her private life on hold until released from royal service following Princess Elizabeth’s marriage in 1947.
In a majestic story of love, sacrifice, and allegiance, bestselling novelist Holden shines a captivating light into the years before Queen Elizabeth II took the throne, as immortalized on the popular television series The Crown.
