The Tattooist of Auschwitz: A Novel

Heather Morris

Sept 2018 · Sold by HarperCollins

About this eBook

 #1 New York Times Bestseller and #1 International Bestseller • Now a Peacock Original Series starring Harvey Keitel and Melanie Lynskey

This beautiful, illuminating tale of hope and courage is based on interviews that were conducted with Holocaust survivor and Auschwitz-Birkenau tattooist Ludwig (Lale) Sokolov—an unforgettable love story in the midst of atrocity.

“The Tattooist of Auschwitz is an extraordinary document, a story about the extremes of human behavior existing side by side: calculated brutality alongside impulsive and selfless acts of love. I find it hard to imagine anyone who would not be drawn in, confronted and moved. I would recommend it unreservedly to anyone, whether they’d read a hundred Holocaust stories or none.”—Graeme Simsion, internationally-bestselling author of The Rosie Project

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.

Ratings and reviews

Truly an exceptional piece of work, showcasing one's willingness to survive the worst horrors anyone could ever imagine. How just a spark of new found love is enough to keep one going even when one's body has nothing more to give. I was literally hooked on this book after reading just the first few pages and found it impossible to put down. It's so hard to believe that real people experienced this (*even though I know without doubt they did), as well as countless of other survivors out there. This is one of the best books I've ever read. A definite must read story that needs to be told.

Describes the imprisonment in Auschwitz, devoted to one man who refused to die, who found love amid such evil. I believe that the love and hope of the main character is what helped him through. Maybe it was just luck, maybe it was his strong soul that could not be denied. A truly emotional and moving novel of love and pure evil.

A beautifully told story of love, tragedy, pain and hope. One of the only two books that have made me cry because of the image that the author paints with her words. It was almost as if I could see the characters right in front of my eyes, fighting for their lives and going on. Also made me grateful for the little things that I take for granted every day. It's the small details that the author has portrayed so well that you just can't help but see everything right there and how she connects everything after the final chapter in the prologue and the author notes. What a masterpiece!! This goes down as one of my favorites for sure!

About the author

Heather Morris is a native of New Zealand, now resident in Australia. For several years, while working in a large public hospital in Melbourne, she studied and wrote screenplays, one of which was optioned by an Academy Award-winning screenwriter in the US. In 2003, 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. Their friendship grew and Lale embarked on a journey of self-scrutiny, entrusting the innermost details of his life during the Holocaust to her. Heather originally wrote Lale’s story as a screenplay—which ranked high in international competitions—before reshaping it into her debut novel, The Tattooist of Auschwitz.