The Tattooist of Auschwitz, by Heather Morris, is a powerful novel based on the true story of Ludwig “Lale” Sokolov, who was imprisoned at Auschwitz and was conscripted to tattoo prisoner numbers onto the arms of his fellow Jews. When his beloved wife, Gita, passed away in the early 2000s, Sokolov wanted to share their story. Morris chose to write their story as a novel, basing it on his memories as told to her, and using some creative license. The novel shares Lale and Gita’s love story, beginning with their meeting at the camp, as well as the story of their courage and survival in the darkest of times. While heartbreaking in its exploration of the Holocaust, the spirit of hope despite hardship shines through.
Raela Schoenherr is an editor at a Minnesota publishing company. She loves to talk books and writing on Twitter at @raelaschoenherr.
Editor's note: The Auschwitz Memorial has identified several factual inaccuracies in The Tattooist of Auschwitz, which are laid out in their publication Memoria. You can read that piece here.
