Stories of Hope: From the bestselling author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz

Reviews

Kristel Greer

That being said, it was an intriguing and very honest read that gave me a lot to think about and a new way to look at my interactions and conversations with others. Each section also provided a recap and tips to cover that sections' topic which I liked. I give the book 🌟🌟🌟🌟.

jemma

Very different from Heather’s previous two novels as it is non-fiction and tells of Heather’s own book-writing journey, but definitely no less moving. But it also tells of how the author herself coped with hearing such traumatising truths. Usefully, at the end of the chapters there is a list bullet-pointing tips on the topics talked about in each chapter, such as effective listening but also self-care after being the listener to disturbing stories. She addressed the issues that arose after the book was published and gave her reasoning for changes in his story in the fictional book on his life and also of others mentioned in the story.

The author goes into detail about her childhood and how she loved to sit and listen to her elders and gain valuable knowledge from them and the past by letting them speak and absorbing the information. She also goes into more depth about how she met Lale, The Tattooist of Auschwitz, and listened to his story while growing their close friendship. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.

Heather talks of how on this journey she met other Holocaust survivors, Lale’s friends, and heard their horrific stories, some of which inspired her second book Cilka’s Journey. It reads as a memoir about how The Tattooist of Auschwitz & Cilka’s Journey came to be.

I think this is very important in the current world we live. This gave the book a personal aspect and tone. I would recommend Stories of Hope for all fans of Heather’s previous books - especially so as there are previously unheard of snippets of incredible stories and a sneak peak at what’s to come! I liked how the author interwove personal stories from her life to showcase the need for listening to others properly and also our inner voice.

It can take a lot out a person to be the rock on which others rely and it is extremely necessary to take time for our own mental health in order to stay safe within ourselves but also to be able to continue being that rock for others. The focus is largely on Lale Sokolov (who you’ll know of if you’ve read The Tattooist of Auschwitz), about how the author spend so much time with him, listening and absorbing his history so she could tell his story. The book covers methods for listening to children and how best to communicate with them. The only reason it wasn’t 5 stars was I felt it was a little repetitive at times and seemed to reference or include similar information within each chapter.

As always, I found Heather’s writing so engaging and sensitive; it was simultaneously beautiful and heartbreaking, but of course, with that overwhelming sense of hope which permeates her work, reminding us to always look for that glimmer of hope no matter how bleak the situation is. As such, the book provides practical advice on how to listen to others - particularly older people, whom the author calls “living history”.