The library will be CLOSED Sunday, May 26 and Monday, May 27, 2024, in observance of Memorial Day.
As a continued precaution to prevent the spread of COVID-19, this book discussion will be held on Zoom. Digital copies of the book are available on Hoopla. Registration required. Instructions below.
[This book club meets every second Tuesday of the month at 7 pm]
Join us online to discuss The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris:
"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.
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 conditions."
In order to participate, please REGISTER to get an invitation to the online book discussion on Zoom. You can join using a Desktop, Laptop, Mobile Phone, Tablet, or Chromebook. While it is not necessary to sign up for a free Zoom account, for best results we recommend DOWNLOADING Zoom Meeting Room Client (for desktops and laptops) or the Zoom Cloud Meetings App (from your phone or tablet app store) before our discussion. Downloading should take a few minutes. Participants without a computer, tablet or smartphone can join the discussion using a traditional phone.
Physical copies of the book will be available for participants to borrow at the Circulation Desk beginning July 15, 2020.
For those who are unable to get a physical copy of the book, please visit Hoopla Digital to sign up for an account using your WPPL library card. This will allow you to borrow and download the audiobook version of The Tattooist of Auschwitz.
If you have any questions, please email: frances.brawner@westlakelibrary.org
Westlake Porter Public Library is an independent public library serving the residents of the city of Westlake, western Cuyahoga County and eastern Lorain County. The library is located at 27333 Center Ridge Road in Westlake, Ohio. Anyone who lives, works, owns property, or goes to school in Ohio can register for a free library card.
