The Ghost Tattoo

The Ghost Tattoo is an award-winning narrative that delves into the complex life of Henry Bernard, a Holocaust survivor and a beloved family doctor on Sydney's Northern Beaches. Winner of the National Jewish Book Award for Holocaust Memoir and shortlisted for the 2023 National Biography Award, this book unravels the personal history and profound impact the Holocaust had on Henry's life.

Henry Bernard's life was marked by the extreme steps he took for his family's security, such as keeping a rifle near his bedroom and concealing their Jewish origin. His obsession with paying off debt was rooted in the German word for debt, which also means 'guilt'. Henry kept his striped Auschwitz uniform, accompanied by a picture of his mother, in his wardrobe. These fixations hindered his domestic happiness and led to the downfall of his marriage. Yet, beneath these issues lay a deeper secret and a profound sense of shame regarding his actions during the war.

He privately endured this turmoil until he began returning to Germany and Poland, confronting his past and reconciling with the deaths of his parents and Halina, his life's love. The Ghost Tattoo tells the story of Tony Bernard, Henry's eldest son, who embarked on a forty-year journey with his father to understand the decisions Henry made in the ghetto to survive.

"This extraordinary narrative is a powerful instance of the trans-generational impact of the Holocaust but, above all, a remarkable examination of the position of a ghetto policeman and the guilt he carried into later life." — Tom Keneally, author of Schindler's List

"Intensively moving, exhaustively researched, and rendered in almost cinematographic detail." — Damien Lewis, internationally bestselling author

"A unique and monumental work—at once heartbreaking and heartwarming." — Scott Lenga, author of The Watchmakers, National Jewish Book Award Finalist

"Can anyone truly grasp the enormity of the Holocaust, other than those who experienced it? Author Tony Bernard tried, and the result is a brilliant memoir that joins the essential canon of this awful moment in human history." — Tom Young, author of Silver Wings, Iron Cross and Red Burning Sky

"Bernard's narrative combines recollections of a childhood spent adoring his father (even as his parents' marriage couldn't withstand Henry's obsessive behavior and bouts of melancholy) and Henry's harrowing story, which is full of crushing moments, including his futile attempt to save his mother from being transported to a death camp. The result is a standout new addition to the literature of the Holocaust." — Publishers Weekly