The Tattooist of Auschwitz
A novel based on the true story of Lale Sokolov, who tattooed prisoners' numbers at Auschwitz and fell in love there.
The Verdict
Few recent books have reached more readers, or drawn more scholarly objection, than this one. Heather Morris tells the story of Lale Sokolov, a real Slovak Jew who tattooed identification numbers onto prisoners at Auschwitz and fell in love with a woman he was marking, drawing on interviews with Sokolov late in his life. As a love story of survival it has moved millions; as a portrait of Auschwitz it has been sharply criticised for inaccuracy. It works best understood for what it is — a novel of one couple's survival, not a reliable account of the camp.
Who Should Read It
Read it if you want
- A survival love story rooted in a real man
- An enormously popular gateway to the subject
- One couple's endurance in the camp
- A starting point before the survivor testimonies
Look elsewhere if you want
- A historically reliable account of Auschwitz
- Documentary or survivor-written testimony
- Accuracy over romance
Why We Rated It 3.8
Historical Context
The Tattooist of Auschwitz (2018) is a novel based on Lale Sokolov, a Slovak Jewish prisoner assigned to tattoo numbers on arrivals at Auschwitz-Birkenau, and his relationship with a fellow prisoner. Morris drew on interviews with Sokolov; the book sold in the millions.
Criticisms & Debates
The Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial's research centre catalogued numerous historical inaccuracies — including tattoo numbers that do not match the records and implausible events — and cautioned against treating it as factual. It is a love story set in the camp, not a document of it; for the history, turn to survivors like Levi and Wiesel.
Events Covered
Read It Alongside
Where to Buy
ISBN: 978-0062797155
Read This Against
The same events seen from a different vantage point. The fullest understanding often lives in the space between accounts that don't agree.
Other Books About the Same Events
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is The Tattooist of Auschwitz accurate?
- As a portrait of Auschwitz it has been widely criticised for factual errors; it is based on a real man but is best read as fiction, not history.
- Was Lale Sokolov a real person?
- Yes — he really was a prisoner tasked with tattooing numbers at Auschwitz, and Morris interviewed him; the novel dramatises his account.