Inkflower
Age 14+
General Fiction
A gritty YA novel about family secrets, hope and healing. Based on a true story.
Lisa’s father has six months to live. And a story to tell about a boy sent to Auschwitz. A boy who lost everything and started again. A story he has kept hidden – until now.
But Lisa doesn’t want to hear it, because she has secrets too. No one at school knows she is Jewish or that her dad is sick. Not even her boyfriend.
But that’s all about to change. And so is she.
Resources
Creators
Suzy Zail has worked as a litigation lawyer, specialising in Family Law, but now writes full time. Among other titles, she has written her father’s story, The Tattooed Flower, his life as a child survivor of the Holocaust. Her first novel for young adults, The Wrong Boy, was shortlisted for the CBCA Book of the Year Awards, the Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature, the WAYRBA, USBBY and YABBA awards. Her second novel with Walker Books, Alexander Altmann A10567, was a Notable Book at the CBCA Awards. Her most recent YA novel, I Am Change, is the story of a young Ugandan girl’s struggle to stay in school. In 2022 Suzy published her first picture book, Arabella’s Alphabet Adventure. Suzy’s books have been published in Germany, the UK, U.S., Sweden, Italy, Romania and the Netherlands. She lives in Melbourne and has three children.
Reviews
A compelling family story which deftly moves between the past and present, between the Holocaust in Europe and suburban life in Melbourne. The book will resonate strongly with young readers and is highly suited as a school text.
Emeritus Professor Dr Konrad Kwiet, Resident Historian at the Sydney Jewish Museum
Suzy Zail’s remarkable and compelling book is a must read for teenagers. Not only is it a story about history, love and courage, it fits perfectly into the Year 9 & 10 History and English syllabi. Based on a true story, it’s a valuable source for secondary students studying the Holocaust, bringing the past alive and creating a connection to the younger generations. Suzy Zail beautifully explores the human experience of survival against all odds.
Sue Hampel OAM - Co-president Melbourne Holocaust Museum; Advisory Board Member National Archives Australia; 2021 Chair of the EWG and member of the Australian delegation in the Education working Group to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance
A powerful Holocaust story of love, loss and hope that will both challenge and inspire.
Jayne Josem, CEO, Melbourne Holocaust Museum
With Inkflower, Zail presents a harrowing examination of humanity, masterfully layered with touch-points of generational trauma, grief, love and family connection. These stories of our world’s darkest hours are more important than ever before, and Zail – with her interminable talent and grace – gifts young readers with a reimagined chapter from her family’s own epic history. Inkflower is a novel to be studied and savoured, a beautiful if bruising tale any reader will be better for having read.
Award-winning author, Danielle Binks
If this is a reader’s first introduction to the Holocaust, Inkflower will be a harrowing read. Both strands of the novel stress the importance of family, friendship and supportive relationships. They also explore how we construct our own identity and how aspects such as names and religion define us
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