SexViolHist Bib: Representations: Literary Texts: Heather Morris

»Heather Morris (born 1953) is a New Zealand author who lives in Australia. Her 2018 debut novel was The Tattooist of Auschwitz.« (Extract from: Wikipedia)

The Tattooist of Auschwitz trilogy

K e y w o r d s

I. Chronological Index: Modern History: 20^th Century, 21^st Century

II. Geographical Index: American History: U.S. History | European History: German History

III. Topical Index: Types: States of Emergency: Sexual Violence during the Holocaust

1. Tattooist of Auschwitz

I n f o r m a t i o n

»The Tattooist of Auschwitz is a 2018 Holocaust novel by New Zealand novelist Heather Morris. The book tells the story of how Slovakian Jew Lale Sokolov, who was imprisoned at Auschwitz in 1942, fell in love with a girl he was tattooing at the concentration camp. The story is based on the real lives of Sokolov and his wife, Gita Furman. There has been mixed criticism of the book, with some complimenting the novel’s compelling story based on real-life events, while claims of factual inaccuracies that may lead to miseducation around historical events have been made by the Auschwitz Memorial Research Center.« (Extract from: Wikipedia)

B i b l i o g r a p h y

I. Author Index

[Info] Blowers, Annabella. Challenging the Master Narrative of Holocaust Victimhood: Examining the Holocaust Through a Gendered Lens. Undergraduate Honors Theses, Brigham Young University, 2024.

II. Speaker Index

2. Cilka’s Journey

I n f o r m a t i o n

»Her second book, the sequel to The Tattooist from Auschwitz, Cilka's Journey, was released in 2020 and tells the story of Cilka Kovacova, who was 16 when she arrived in Auschwitz and became the camp commandant's mistress. After her release from the camp she was arrested and sent to the Gulag in Russia where she met her husband Ivan and fled to Canada. As part of the research work for the book, Morris visited Slovakia four times and researched the life of Kovacova. She also visited Yad Vashem to further research the Holocaust. Kovacova's stepson, George Kovach from California, sued Morris upon the publication of the book, because according to him the story is "hurtful" and blurring the boundaries of fact and fiction.« (Extract from: Wikipedia)

B i b l i o g r a p h y

I. Author Index

[Info] Blokh, Adele. “Stories that are silenced for way too Long”: Silence on sexual violence during the Holocaust and the importance of accurate depiction of it. B.A. Thesis, Fordham University, 2025.

II. Speaker Index

3. Three Sisters

I n f o r m a t i o n

»The third book in the trilogy Three Sisters, about three sisters who together survive Auschwitz, arrive in Slovakia and immigrate to Israel, was released in 2021.« (Extract from: Wikipedia)

B i b l i o g r a p h y

I. Author Index

[Info] Blowers, Annabella. Challenging the Master Narrative of Holocaust Victimhood: Examining the Holocaust Through a Gendered Lens. Undergraduate Honors Theses, Brigham Young University, 2024.

II. Speaker Index