In the horror of the concentration camps of the Second World War, the use of tattoos to mark Jews is a known practice. However, little is known about the people who tattooed the prisoners. However, there were several of them working in the Auschwitz camp. In 2003, Australian journalist Heather Morris collected the story of one of them, Holocaust survivor Lale Sokolov, who agreed to share his story. Over a period of three years, the journalist collected his memories, which she used, with Sokolov's consent, for this historical novel. It has become a worldwide bestseller, translated into 48 languages, and tells the true story of a man and a woman, two Slovakian Jews, who find love in the heart of hell. "Under a leaden sky, prisoners march past the entrance to the Auschwitz camp. Soon they will be nothing more than numbers tattooed on their arms. Lale, a deportee, is in charge of this sinister task. He works with his eyes fixed on the ground to avoid seeing the pain in the eyes of those he is marking forever. One day, however, he looks up at Gita, and the young woman becomes his light in this world of infinite darkness. They know at once that they are made for each other. In this prison where people fight for a piece of bread and to save their lives, there is no room for love. They have to make do with tiny moments of joy, which make them forget the nightmare of everyday life. But Lale makes a promise to Gita: one day they will be free and happy to live together. The Tattooist of Auschwitz - Heather Morris - Harper Papersback - 286 pages- 18€
