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Book Review - By Your Side By Ruth Jones

  By Your Side By Ruth Jones Genre - Women's Fiction My Rating - ★★★★★ I had the incredible chance to dive into an advance copy of Ruth Jones's, By Your side, thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers. Due to be released on 22nd May 2025   This is the third book that I have read by Ruth Jones and it really did not disappoint.   Synopsis Linda and Levi will never meet. But they’re going to change each other’s lives. In her role at the council’s Unclaimed Heirs Unit, Linda Standish investigates the lives of those who’ve died alone and tracks down any living relatives. She’s been a friend to the friendless for the past thirty-three years. And now she’s looking forward to an early retirement. But before she hangs up her lanyard, Linda takes on one last case – that of Levi Norman – a Welshman who made his home on a remote Scottish island for the past five years. What brought Levi here? And who did he leave behind? Obliged to travel (by hear...
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Book Review: The Tattooist of Auschwitz






The Tattooist of Auschwitz
By Heather Morris

My rating: ★★★★☆
Goodreads: 4.26/5
Genre: Historical fiction, Biographical fiction

This book has become an international bestseller, was nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award for Historical fiction and for Debut Author (2018) In 2019 got the Audie Award for fiction and in 2018 was listed in Richard and Judy book club 


Synopsis

The Tattooist of Auschwitz is based on the true story of Lale and Gita Sokolov, two Slovakian Jews who survived Auschwitz. In 1942 Lale was given the job of tattooing the prisoners marked for survival. Scratching numbers into his fellow victims' arms in indelible ink to create what would become one of the most potent symbols of the Holocaust.  

 Waiting in line to be tattooed, terrified and shaking, was a young girl. For Lale - a dandy, a jack-the-lad, a bit of a chancer  it was love at first sight, and he was determined not only to survive himself but to ensure that Gita did, too. 


My Review

 
The tattooist of Auschwitz is a mixture of historical and biographical fiction with a love story intertwined throughout the horrific events that unfold.
It is a rather moving, compelling story that is packed with selflessness, hope and romance but, contrasted with death and heart wrenching cruelty of a time and place that should never be forgotten.

As I turned the pages and the lives of these people played out, I to was drawn into their story, I wanted there to be a happy ever after and was amazed that such love and friendship could be found in such a brutal place.
Towards the end, once both Lale and Gita were free from the concentration camp, I did find that the attention to detail slipped and it felt a little rushed. I personally would of liked a little more detail of their lives, as having just lived through the worst with them I wanted to live through the better times to. I am also left wondering what happened to Jakub and Cilka and if they survived.

The tattooist of Auschwitz wasn't an easy book to read because of its harrowing content but, it was immensely rewarding. The harsh reality was uplifted by the strength and survival that was shown by the characters, and I guess that is how they felt, the only way they could have faith that they would survive. 
 
This has been the hardest review I have written yet. 
This book has left me with such mixed emotions. It was a book that I struggled to put down as I needed to no what happened next but when you did it remained with you, at the back of your mind.
In fact I think it will be with me for a very long time.


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