The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris is the true story of Lale Sokolov, a Slovakian Jew who spent two and a half years at the Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II. 

During his time at Auschwitz, Lale was called “Tätowierer” - the German word for tattooist. He received this name because he was forced to ink identification numbers onto the left arms of thousands of his fellow prisoners. 

These marks eventually became one of the most potent symbols of the Holocaust. 

Lale was an intelligent man. He spoke five languages. His linguistic abilities allowed him to gain information and create connections with his fellow inmates and even a few SS officers. 

He used his access, his connections, and his privileged position as the official tattooist of the camps to survive and help others in any way he could. 

Lale’s story is not just a story of survival, however. In the midst of the atrocity, an unlikely love story unfolds. 

Gita Furman is one of the female prisoners at the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camps. As Lale is touching up the tattoo on her arm, he happens to look up and falls in love at first sight. This first encounter is the beginning of a decades-long story of companionship, marriage, and true love.

This international bestseller details the horrendous experiences ordinary people went through during the Holocaust. The entire story showcases the incredible acts of bravery people are capable of performing in the darkest possible conditions. 

The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris is not just a recounting of historical facts, though. It also offers some important lessons on life and leadership, including:

Be Observant and Curious

Though Lale is always careful not to be belligerent toward the SS guards or stand out in a way that may get him killed, he is always watching and listening.

• “Do as you’re told. And always observe.” 

• “Whenever possible, he listens to the talk and gossip of the SS, who don’t know he understands them. They give him ammunition of the only sort available to him, knowledge, to be stored up for later.”

Lale is also a very curious person. He spends a great deal of time asking questions like:

• What is this new group of incoming prisoners?

• What are the different markings on people’s clothes?

His observant and curious nature allows him to survive the horrors of Auschwitz and eventually gets him home.

The message here is simple. Watch. Listen. Collect data. Then, act when needed.

Find the Humor in Your Situation

As a Holocaust survivor, Lale experienced some of the most horrific atrocities in history - but he always tries to find the humor in his circumstances.

For instance, when one of his fellow inmates asked him how he can remain so calm after the SS officers pointed guns at them and forced them into a tiny cattle car, Lale smiled and replied, “Not what I was expecting, either.”

When forced to eat a disgusting brown sludge, Lale gulps it down and says, “Best meal I’ve had in ages!”

Finding humor in such horrific circumstances isn’t easy. However, as Lale shows, laughter often helps people cope and make it through challenging times. 

Find Your Daily Purpose

Throughout Heather Morris’ novel, Lale tries to find some meaning in his horrific existence at the labor camp. For example, he meets Gita in secret on Sundays:

• “This keeps them committed to staying alive and, in Lale’s case, planning a shared future.”

When Gita develops typhus, Lale has to get her medicine. This quest adds purpose to his life:

• “Waking up from a pleasant dream to the grim reality, he remembers, ‘There’s something important for me to do today.’”

Always create a plan, even if it's to get you from morning to midday. Lale proves having hope or looking forward to something will help us survive even the most horrendous circumstances.

Build a Positive Mindset

The Tattooist of Auschwitz is a tale of hope. Lale refuses to allow himself to think negatively.

• “I will live to leave this place. I will walk out a free man.”

• “Choosing to live is an act of defiance, a form of heroism.”

• “I’m a survivor!”

Holocaust stories like Lale’s tend to put things into perspective quite quickly. They show us how powerful our thoughts are. They prove that having the right mindset can help us overcome just about anything - even the atrocities of Auschwitz. 

Be Kind

Big and small acts of kindness run rampant throughout The Tattooist of Auschwitz. 

• “A community of sorts formed among them: when life is difficult for you personally but you see an opportunity to help someone worse off, you do so. You share your meager rations of food, hand over an extra blanket if you have one.”

When Lale was sick, a group of men went out of their way to look after him:

• “We took turns smuggling water and sharing our bread with you, forcing it down your throat … we changed your soiled clothes. We swapped them with someone who had died overnight.”

When Gita escaped from the camp with a group of girls, they received help from a stranger:

• “They are forced to ask a passer-by for help finding the address they’ve been given. The kind woman takes them to the house they seek.”

The overall motto of this book is:

“To save one is to save the world.”

This is a motto we can take with us every day. Carry out acts of kindness. Big and small. For people you know and people you don’t. 

Your kindness may or may not come back to you. But still do. It’s in our nature.

At the end of the day, Heather Morris’s novel is a real-life story of a young man in a horrendous situation he never should have been in. It outlines how he chose to handle it and serves as a reflection point for each of us on our own life and what we want it to stand for.

Has this summary and book review piqued your interest in The Tattooist of Auschwitz? If so, you can grab a copy of the beautiful novel for yourself on Amazon. I highly recommend reading Lale and Gita’s real life story in full! 

If you’d like to make sure my next book review goes straight to your inbox, subscribe to my newsletter!

About The Author

Emily Sander is an ICF-certified leadership coach with more than 15 years of experience in the business world and the author of Hacking Executive Leadership. She’s been featured in several print publications, online articles, and podcasts, including CEO Today Magazine, Leading to Fulfillment, and Leadership Powered by Common Sense. 

Emily has a passion for helping business leaders reach their full potential. Go here to read her story from seasoned executive to knowledgeable coach. If you want to send Emily a quick message, then visit her contact page here.