The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
Synopsis
'I tattooed a number on her arm. She tattooed her name on my heart.'
In 1942, Lale Sokolov arrived in Auschwitz-Birkenau. He 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 this woman, Gita, did, too.
So begins one of the most life-affirming, courageous, unforgettable and human stories of the Holocaust: the love story of the tattooist of Auschwitz.
Reviews
'A sincere...moving attempt to speak the unspeakable.' The Sunday Times
'What an extraordinary and important book this is. We need as many memories of the Holocaust as we can retain, and this is a moving and ultimately uplifting story of love, loyalties and friendship amidst the horrors of war. I'm so glad Lale and Gita were eventually able to live long and happy lives together, and thankful that Heather Morris was moved to record their incredible story. It's a triumph.' Jill Mansell
'Extraordinary - moving, confronting and uplifting . . . a story about the extremes of human behaviour: calculated brutality alongside impulsive and selfless acts of love. I recommend it unreservedly' Graeme Simsion, author of The Rosie Project
'Based on the true story of Lale Sokolov, who is forced to tattoo numbers on his fellow concentration camp detainees' arms.' The Bookseller
About the Author
Born in New Zealand, Heather Morris is an international bestselling author, who is passionate about stories of survival, resilience and hope. In 2003, while working in a large public hospital in Melbourne, Heather was introduced to an elderly gentleman who 'might just have a story worth telling'. The day she met Lale Sokolov changed both their lives. Heather used Lale's story as the basis for The Tattooist of Auschwitz, which has sold more than six million copies. Her follow-up novel, Cilka's Journey, has sold more than two million copies. Three Sisters is her third novel. In 2020 she published Stories of Hope, her account of her journey to writing the story of Lale Sokolov's life.