Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
St. Martin's Press (2019), 352 pages
Description
Fiction. Literature. Historical Fiction. HTML: From the author of the multi-million copy bestseller The Tattooist of Auschwitz comes a new novel based on a riveting true story of love and resilience. Her beauty saved her ?? and condemned her. Cilka is just sixteen years old when she is taken to Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp in 1942, where the commandant immediately notices how beautiful she is. Forcibly separated from the other women prisoners, Cilka learns quickly that power, even unwillingly taken, equals survival. When the war is over and the camp is liberated, freedom is not granted to Cilka: She is charged as a collaborator for sleeping with the enemy and sent to a Siberian prison camp. But did she really have a choice? And where do the lines of morality lie for Cilka, who was send to Auschwitz when she was still a child? In Siberia, Cilka faces challenges both new and horribly familiar, including the unwanted attention of the guards. But when she meets a kind female doctor, Cilka is taken under her wing and begins to tend to the ill in the camp, struggling to care for them under brutal conditions. Confronting death and terror daily, Cilka discovers a strength she never knew she had. And when she begins to tentatively form bonds and relationships in this harsh, new reality, Cilka finds that despite everything that has happened to her, there is room in her heart for love. From child to woman, from woman to healer, Cilka's journey illuminates the resilience of the human spirit??and the will we have to survive… (more)
Awards
Dublin Literary Award (Longlist — 2021)
Audie Award (Finalist — Fiction — 2020)
The British Book Industry Awards (Shortlist — Fiction — 2020)
Australian Book Industry Awards (Shortlist — General Fiction — 2020)
Language
User reviews
LibraryThing member JanaRose1
After being liberated from Auschwitz-Birkenau, Cilka is charged as a collaborator and sent to Siberia for hard labor. Once in the Siberian prison camp, Cilka befriends a female doctor, and finds work inside the hospital wing.
I had a hard time with this book. It felt like a sequel, where half of
I had a hard time with this book. It felt like a sequel, where half of
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the information was missing. Although Cilka's time in Auschwitz was gradually revealed, it would have been more powerful if it had been told straight out at the beginning. Overall, 3 out of 5 stars. Show Less
LibraryThing member dooney
It could have been such a good, poignant and moving story if only the writing were not so poor and flat. I upgraded it simply because I enjoyed it slightly more than Tatooist, perhaps because the author had less first person narrative to work with and had to use a little imagination.
LibraryThing member leah152
I don't really like reviewing these kind of stories because they're based on real events & given the events I think it's a bit unfair to anyway because that's not really the point. One thing I will say though is that horrific as the events in this story are, I don't know what it is about Heather's
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writing but I just didn't want to put this book down. I literally read this in a couple of days! Show Less
LibraryThing member dolly22
Emotionless writing discredited the main character’s life and experiences. The fact the protagonist’s husbands family have distanced themselves from the narrative tells me everything
LibraryThing member SilversReviews
From a concentration camp to a prison camp...from one horror to the next.
Even though she had no choice but to do what she was told, Cilka was charged by the Russian government with collaborating with the Nazis and given a sentence of 15 years of hard labor in a prison in Vorkuta Gulag in
The conditions and treatment in the prison were no better than in the concentration camp, but Cilka knew how to stay alive since she had learned what you needed to do and that was to just do what you are told.
We follow Cilka as she remembers her lovely childhood and the horrors in the concentration camp as well as learn of her current, unbearable situation in the prison. We also get to re-visit Lale and Gita as Cilka’s memories revert to the time in the concentration camp.
The reader sees the atrocities women were subjected to in the concentration camp and the prison.
There are some good people that Cilka meets in the prison hospital where she works which is a blessing to be out of the brutal temperatures loading coal into buckets day in and day out.
You will cringe and be horrified at what goes on as Ms. Morris again minces no words and keeps your interest with her marvelous writing style and research.
Historical fiction fans and those who have read THE TATTOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ will not want to miss this book. 5/5
This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Even though she had no choice but to do what she was told, Cilka was charged by the Russian government with collaborating with the Nazis and given a sentence of 15 years of hard labor in a prison in Vorkuta Gulag in
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Siberia.The conditions and treatment in the prison were no better than in the concentration camp, but Cilka knew how to stay alive since she had learned what you needed to do and that was to just do what you are told.
We follow Cilka as she remembers her lovely childhood and the horrors in the concentration camp as well as learn of her current, unbearable situation in the prison. We also get to re-visit Lale and Gita as Cilka’s memories revert to the time in the concentration camp.
The reader sees the atrocities women were subjected to in the concentration camp and the prison.
There are some good people that Cilka meets in the prison hospital where she works which is a blessing to be out of the brutal temperatures loading coal into buckets day in and day out.
You will cringe and be horrified at what goes on as Ms. Morris again minces no words and keeps your interest with her marvelous writing style and research.
Historical fiction fans and those who have read THE TATTOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ will not want to miss this book. 5/5
This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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LibraryThing member ang709
It's unthinkable that a survivor of the horrors of Auschwitz should suffer the further injustice of a sentence in a Russian gulag, but that was Cilka's reality.
This book centers on Cilka's time in that gulag, though there are flashbacks to her time in Auschwitz. At the beginning I wondered just how
Cilka's compassion for and understanding of others (even when they judged her harshly) made her a highly sympathetic character, and it was interesting to read about the various medical jobs she did.
Unfortunately, the ending felt rushed, and since the love story wasn't developed at all until almost the very end, I couldn't get invested in it. Also, I was left wondering about Cilka's life after the end of the novel. I wish the author's note had at least mentioned whether she continued using her medical skills.
I hadn't read The Tattooist of Auschwitz, but this worked fine as a standalone.
My review is based on an ARC of this book.
This book centers on Cilka's time in that gulag, though there are flashbacks to her time in Auschwitz. At the beginning I wondered just how
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depressing this novel would get, but two things kept the darkness from becoming overwhelming: Cilka's enduring hopeful spirit and the author's sensitive handling of the women's abuse.Cilka's compassion for and understanding of others (even when they judged her harshly) made her a highly sympathetic character, and it was interesting to read about the various medical jobs she did.
Unfortunately, the ending felt rushed, and since the love story wasn't developed at all until almost the very end, I couldn't get invested in it. Also, I was left wondering about Cilka's life after the end of the novel. I wish the author's note had at least mentioned whether she continued using her medical skills.
I hadn't read The Tattooist of Auschwitz, but this worked fine as a standalone.
My review is based on an ARC of this book.
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LibraryThing member teachlz
WOW! Heather Morris has written a second novel to follow "The Tattooist of Auschwitz", called "Cilka's Journey". Cilka is one of the characters in the first book, and Heather Morris, the author writes about Cilka as the main character in "Cilka's Journey". The novel can be read as a stand-alone.
At sixteen years of age, Cilka is sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp. The Commander in charge of the camp notices Cilka and sets her aside. Cilka does what she has to do in order to survive. Some of the things, she is forced to do, seem to deeply affect her, long after she is released.
When the Russians come to free the camp, Cilka is taken as a prisoner for "sleeping" and aiding the enemy. This time she is sent to a Siberian Prison Camp. This is what makes this story so unique. Not only is Cilka a Jewish girl that was in a Concentration camp, she now is a prisoner in a Russian prison camp for many years.
Cilka fears danger and death every day. The conditions are deplorable. A young physician notices a caring side of Cilka and tries to help her. Will Cilka ever be free? Will she ever be able to forgive? Will Cilka ever be able to find the ability to love? I would highly recommend this vividly descriptive well-written story.
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The Genres for this Novel are Historical Fiction and Fiction. The time period for this novel is World War Two and After. Please be aware that this is a powerful, heartbreaking, emotional, devastating, and traumatic story during evil times. There are many Kleenex moments. The author describes her characters as good and evil. Cilka is described as complex and complicated, strong, courageous, kind, and does many things to survive.At sixteen years of age, Cilka is sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp. The Commander in charge of the camp notices Cilka and sets her aside. Cilka does what she has to do in order to survive. Some of the things, she is forced to do, seem to deeply affect her, long after she is released.
When the Russians come to free the camp, Cilka is taken as a prisoner for "sleeping" and aiding the enemy. This time she is sent to a Siberian Prison Camp. This is what makes this story so unique. Not only is Cilka a Jewish girl that was in a Concentration camp, she now is a prisoner in a Russian prison camp for many years.
Cilka fears danger and death every day. The conditions are deplorable. A young physician notices a caring side of Cilka and tries to help her. Will Cilka ever be free? Will she ever be able to forgive? Will Cilka ever be able to find the ability to love? I would highly recommend this vividly descriptive well-written story.
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LibraryThing member tamidale
Heather Morris brings readers another compelling novel that focuses on one of the characters presented in The Tattooist of Auschwitz. Russia, post World War II is the setting for this novel, although the horrors of Auschwitz are never far from the minds of the characters.
Cilka Klein, a young woman
Just about the only improvement in the Russian prison was the absence of crematoriums, possibly a bit more food to eat and access to medical care. The harsh weather and the prison mafia was enough to help control the prison population.
The story tells of Cilka’s life at the Vorkuta, sprinkled with flashbacks to her life in Auschwitz. In spite of the harsh conditions, Cilka manages to thrive and develop meaningful relationships while in the prison.
Readers should be sure not to miss the author’s note at the end of the story. Morris explains how the story came into being and gives some details about Cilka’s life beyond leaving the prison.
An unforgettable story and one not to miss!
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an advance copy and give my honest review.
Cilka Klein, a young woman
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from Slovakia who managed to survive Auschwitz, is shockingly sent to a Russian prison in Siberia. Because she spoke several languages and had been accused of sleeping with a Nazi commander, she was charged as a collaborator and sentenced to 15 years in the Vorkuta prison.Just about the only improvement in the Russian prison was the absence of crematoriums, possibly a bit more food to eat and access to medical care. The harsh weather and the prison mafia was enough to help control the prison population.
The story tells of Cilka’s life at the Vorkuta, sprinkled with flashbacks to her life in Auschwitz. In spite of the harsh conditions, Cilka manages to thrive and develop meaningful relationships while in the prison.
Readers should be sure not to miss the author’s note at the end of the story. Morris explains how the story came into being and gives some details about Cilka’s life beyond leaving the prison.
An unforgettable story and one not to miss!
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an advance copy and give my honest review.
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LibraryThing member BettyTaylor56
I do not think I have the words to truly express what an extraordinary book this is. I enjoyed THE TATOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ so, of course, wanted to know Cilka’s story. However, this book can easily be read without first reading THE TATOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ.
In THE TATOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ Cilka is a
CILKA’S JOURNEY is the story of Cilka’s imprisonment at the gulag and the strength required of her to survive the harsh conditions there. I found myself constantly asking what choice she had. Obviously those who tried and sentenced survivors had no idea what these people were put through. It seemed so unfathomable that she would go from one prison to another with absolutely no control of what was done to her.
Fortunately Cilka makes an impression on Yelena, the female doctor at the gulag who gives Cilka a job in the hospital. Cilka’s life finally takes a positive turn. She comes to recognize the strength she has and even finds that she has room in her heart to love. When Lale (the tattooist at Auschwitz) was interviewed by Heather Morris he said that Cilka was the bravest person he had ever met. Her determination to survive, her bravery, and her compassion for others totally won my heart.
Morris’ superb writing made me feel the suffering, anger, and fear of the prisoners. I was totally enthralled and found it extremely difficult to put the book down. This is a story I will not forget.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and GalleyMatch for the advance copy. Opinions are my own.
In THE TATOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ Cilka is a
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friend of Gita’s. Cilka’s beauty brought her to the attention of the Commandant at Birkenau who claimed her as his mistress, leading to repeated rapes and abuse . Cilka, only 16 years old when she entered the camp, had to do distasteful things in order to survive. After the liberation of the camps Cilka, now 19 years old, was tried and found guilty of collaborating with the enemy. She was sentenced to 15 years at the Vorkuta gulag in Siberia. CILKA’S JOURNEY is the story of Cilka’s imprisonment at the gulag and the strength required of her to survive the harsh conditions there. I found myself constantly asking what choice she had. Obviously those who tried and sentenced survivors had no idea what these people were put through. It seemed so unfathomable that she would go from one prison to another with absolutely no control of what was done to her.
Fortunately Cilka makes an impression on Yelena, the female doctor at the gulag who gives Cilka a job in the hospital. Cilka’s life finally takes a positive turn. She comes to recognize the strength she has and even finds that she has room in her heart to love. When Lale (the tattooist at Auschwitz) was interviewed by Heather Morris he said that Cilka was the bravest person he had ever met. Her determination to survive, her bravery, and her compassion for others totally won my heart.
Morris’ superb writing made me feel the suffering, anger, and fear of the prisoners. I was totally enthralled and found it extremely difficult to put the book down. This is a story I will not forget.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and GalleyMatch for the advance copy. Opinions are my own.
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LibraryThing member eyes.2c
Raw!
What more can I do than add my praises to the already resounding accolades this novel deserves
Before opening the pages I'd wondered if I really wanted to face more evidence of the sorry state of misery that mankind so frequently doles out. The inhumane actions the powerful inflicting pain on
Despite this, at its heart, Cilka's Journey also points to the redemptiveness of the human psyche and how some soar despite their circumstances.
Heart wrenching and heart warming, this is a work to be treasured for its willingness to face the hard realities of history, with underpinning forays of resilience to be nurtured.
All I can say is that Heather Morris is an amazingly gifted story teller.
A St. Martin's Press ARC via NetGalley
What more can I do than add my praises to the already resounding accolades this novel deserves
Before opening the pages I'd wondered if I really wanted to face more evidence of the sorry state of misery that mankind so frequently doles out. The inhumane actions the powerful inflicting pain on
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the powerless, the mindlessness of bureaucratic decisions that completely annihilate the hopes of the individual. Such suffering and torment goes unheeded. Despite this, at its heart, Cilka's Journey also points to the redemptiveness of the human psyche and how some soar despite their circumstances.
Heart wrenching and heart warming, this is a work to be treasured for its willingness to face the hard realities of history, with underpinning forays of resilience to be nurtured.
All I can say is that Heather Morris is an amazingly gifted story teller.
A St. Martin's Press ARC via NetGalley
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LibraryThing member jfe16
Review of Advance Readers’ Edition
After three long years of fighting for survival at Auschwitz-Birkenau, Cilka faces judgment at the hands of her Russian liberators and leaves one prison for another where she waits while her fate is decided. The officer finds Cilka guilty of working with the
Cilka soon learns that things are no different in this new camp. The harsh treatment, the lack of sufficient food, the rape and sexual abuse have all followed her to this new prison. But when she secures a job in the prison hospital, she finds both friendship and a purpose.
Based on the true story of Cecilia Klein, this novel, a sequel to “The Tattooist of Auschwitz,” details the horrific tortures visited upon those condemned to the concentration camps and the gulags. It’s a harrowing tale, a condemnation of the inhumanity cavalierly thrust upon those so unjustly imprisoned. Readers may find it a bit implausible that, as the story unfolds, EVERY evil thing comes to rest on Cilka’s shoulders, but it does serve as a durable vehicle to lay bare the abhorrent treatment endured by so many.
The courage of the characters is a counterpoint to the constantly-building tension that permeates the narrative with an almost palpable fear, making it difficult for readers to set the book aside before turning the final page. The story, with its strong sense of place, is dark and difficult, at times graphic and always frightening. It is gut-wrenching.
It is a haunting truth we must never forget.
Highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
After three long years of fighting for survival at Auschwitz-Birkenau, Cilka faces judgment at the hands of her Russian liberators and leaves one prison for another where she waits while her fate is decided. The officer finds Cilka guilty of working with the
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enemy as a prostitute and a spy and sentences her to fifteen years in the Vorkuta Gulag in Siberia. Cilka soon learns that things are no different in this new camp. The harsh treatment, the lack of sufficient food, the rape and sexual abuse have all followed her to this new prison. But when she secures a job in the prison hospital, she finds both friendship and a purpose.
Based on the true story of Cecilia Klein, this novel, a sequel to “The Tattooist of Auschwitz,” details the horrific tortures visited upon those condemned to the concentration camps and the gulags. It’s a harrowing tale, a condemnation of the inhumanity cavalierly thrust upon those so unjustly imprisoned. Readers may find it a bit implausible that, as the story unfolds, EVERY evil thing comes to rest on Cilka’s shoulders, but it does serve as a durable vehicle to lay bare the abhorrent treatment endured by so many.
The courage of the characters is a counterpoint to the constantly-building tension that permeates the narrative with an almost palpable fear, making it difficult for readers to set the book aside before turning the final page. The story, with its strong sense of place, is dark and difficult, at times graphic and always frightening. It is gut-wrenching.
It is a haunting truth we must never forget.
Highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
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LibraryThing member carole888fort
Cilka’s Journey by Heather Morris is a work of fiction based on the actual life of a woman who lived during and after the Holocaust. I hesitated to request this title due to its serious subject matter but I have not regretted a single word. Sixteen-year-old Cilka Klein and her family were
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transported in cattle cars to Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camps and she remained there for three years, fighting to stay alive by any means available. When the camps were liberated, Cilka, instead of leaving for her country, was sentenced to fifteen years in a Siberian gulag, charged with sleeping with the enemy. While there, Cilka was befriended by a doctor who helped her to become a nurse and, as the years passed, she helped many. The novel alternates between her time in the camps and her time in Siberia. This is a story of courage and perseverance under the worst of circumstances. Thank you to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Show Less
LibraryThing member brangwinn
I have not read the Tattooist of Auschwitz, but after reading CILKA’S JOURNEY, Tattooist of Auschwitz must be a sequel. If you’ve read Sophie’s Choice, you’ll have a understanding of the choices young Jewish women were forced to make in concentration camps to survive. Cilka became the
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mistress of a camp officer as well as overseeing the cabin where women were placed before going to the gas chambers. After the war, she is punished more by the Russians who send her to a Siberian camp as further punishment for conspiring with an enemy. Excellent story about the resilience of people and how simple things can bring hope and happiness. Show Less
LibraryThing member jo2son
A novel about Cilka, one of the characters in The Tattooist of Auschwitz, loosely based on a true story. After the war is over and Auschwitz is liberated, Cilka is sent to a Siberian prison camp where she faces more challenges. It is hard to imagine how anyone could continue to survive in such
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harsh conditions. This is truly a story of perseverance. The plot moved along at a better pace in this second novel in the series. Review based on an ARC provided by NetGalley. Show Less
LibraryThing member muddyboy
This is the story of a Jewish woman who survives several years in a Nazi prison camp only to be rescued by the Russians and sent to a gulag in Northern Russia. The dust jacket says it is based on a true story and gives many pages at the end to validate the author's research. Not much is different
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at the Gulag - hard work and abuse by men. But, Cilka is smart and capable and is able to forge a better position for herself and several of her friends. If it is as true as the author indicates it is a testament to this women's powerful will. Show Less
LibraryThing member SandraBrower
Cecilia Klein was sixteen years old when she was sent to Auschwitz- Birkenau. She was an innocent girl. We first meet “Cilka” when Gita starts working in the head office in Auschwitz. She and her hut friends befriend Cilka who is picked to be the focus of sexual desire, and rape, by the head of
After Reading The Tattooist of Auschwitz, I needed more the story didn’t feel complete. I, like so many others, wondered where did Cilka disappear to when she was separated from Gita And Lale during liberation.i mean it was like she just “poofed” out of the camp never to be heard from again.
The poignancy between the “memories” from Auschwitz-Birkenau and Voltuka Gulag added to what we knew from Cilka’s story In The Tattooist of Auschwitzi it is a powerful, heart rendering story of strength, bravery and shear will to live.
I am thankful to Heather Morris for giving us Cilka’s story. The heartache of surviving three horrific years at Auschwitz- Birkenau and then being labeled as a spy and an enemy because of her forced upon sexually violent traumatic life, and knowing so many languages. She goes through all that only to be sent to Siberia is wrenchingly painful. I can’t even imagine, However in true Cecilia Klein Fashion she perseveres.
Thanks, Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book in lieu of an honest review.
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Auschwitz. The things she goes through is mind numbingly hard to fathom. After Reading The Tattooist of Auschwitz, I needed more the story didn’t feel complete. I, like so many others, wondered where did Cilka disappear to when she was separated from Gita And Lale during liberation.i mean it was like she just “poofed” out of the camp never to be heard from again.
The poignancy between the “memories” from Auschwitz-Birkenau and Voltuka Gulag added to what we knew from Cilka’s story In The Tattooist of Auschwitzi it is a powerful, heart rendering story of strength, bravery and shear will to live.
I am thankful to Heather Morris for giving us Cilka’s story. The heartache of surviving three horrific years at Auschwitz- Birkenau and then being labeled as a spy and an enemy because of her forced upon sexually violent traumatic life, and knowing so many languages. She goes through all that only to be sent to Siberia is wrenchingly painful. I can’t even imagine, However in true Cecilia Klein Fashion she perseveres.
Thanks, Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book in lieu of an honest review.
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LibraryThing member JSBancroft
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Although it may appear to be a sequel to The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Cilka's Journey is very much its own story. The narrative jumps from Cilka's memories of her early life with her family, to her memories of life in a
Although it may appear to be a sequel to The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Cilka's Journey is very much its own story. The narrative jumps from Cilka's memories of her early life with her family, to her memories of life in a
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concentration camp, to her current experience in a Soviet prison camp. Cilka has journeyed through death and despair time and again, yet she refuses to quit, refuses to give up hope, and continues to atone for her previous "sins" or "failures" by heroically sacrificing for the benefit of those around her. Through her sacrifices, she learns that her gifts of nurturing and healing can bring comfort not only to others but to herself. Cilka's story proves that physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, and even total dehumanization cannot kill an individual's humanity. But we also see in Cilka's fear, difficulty in maintaining true, significant relationships, and shame in what she does in order to live, that trauma victims cannot and should not be expected to simply get over what they have suffered. This book adds to the collective body of Holocaust literature, and unfortunately is relevant in a world where war and violence against women remains so pervasive. I would recommend this book highly, with the caveat that the honest depictions of extermination camps and prison camps could be triggering for some readers. Show Less
LibraryThing member thewanderingjew
Cilka and her sister Magda went to work for the Germans when she was 16 years old. It was not a choice, it was a command. They were both sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Magda did not survive, but Cilka was chosen to be the Commandant’s woman and was afforded better living conditions and better food.
When the war was over, Cilka was sent to Siberia because she was charged with collaborating with the Germans, with sleeping with the enemy. In fact, she had no choice. If she had refused to sleep with the commandant, she would probably have been murdered herself. No prisoner in Auschwitz had a choice about anything. Cilka was a prisoner.
In Siberia, Cilka was chosen to be trained as a nurse. This opportunity provided her with better food and living conditions, however, most of the time she preferred to be in the hut she shared with her fellow prisoners because they had become friends. She also went out with the ambulance to rescue the injured and even went into the mine, under extremely dangerous conditions in order to rescue the trapped miners when there was a collapse or explosion. Many accidents occurred in the mines which had inadequate safety procedures. She was brave and risked her life often, to save others. Still, she harbored tremendous guilt because of what she had done in the Concentration Camp. When someone accused her of having blood on her hands, she collapsed in the snow and tried to scrub it off, although of course, it was only an accusation, and in fact, her hands were clean.
This is Cilka’s story. It is part fact and part fiction. It is not an easy read because even when one thinks they know all there is to know about evil in the world, there is always more to be discovered. She was just a teen when she went to the camp and only 18 when she was sent to Siberia. She was alone, had no family or friends, and was forced to grow up and confront the face of evil before she even had a chance to experience much of the brighter side of life. Yet her happy memories often did sustain her.
The Russians rivaled the Germans when it came to brutality. In Siberia, they worked the prisoners to death for long hours, fed them small quantities of poor quality food and housed them in buildings that were poorly built and inadequately insulated to withstand the harsh weather. It was not much different than the merciless treatment of prisoners that existed under the Germans. Many prisoners sickened and died. If a prisoner made a mistake or disobeyed a rule or angered a superior, the punishment was often violent and barbaric. Many did not survive.
Although it is based on the life of a real person, the author has taken great liberty to create a narrative to bring her to life. Still, the basic idea is front and center. Cilka was maligned and unjustly punished, but Cilka was also brave and strong and she survived. She symbolizes the unjust treatment of Jews during the Holocaust and Russia’s unjust treatment of the political prisoners afterward, in the countries that Russia controlled while Stalin was in power. Kruschev made changes when he rose to power that helped Cilka have a second chance at life.
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She was put in charge of the block that housed the women condemned to death. These female prisoners were frail and beaten and often went like sheep to the slaughter, the description used to describe the Jews during the Holocaust. Yet, what choice did they have. They had no way to fight back; the citizens that witnessed their degradation turned a blind eye to what was happening to them, and when they were “resettled”, they were starved and weakened by the inhumane conditions. Cilka spoke harshly to the women she was in charge of because she had to, in order to survive, but she tried to be kind to them when no one was watching. Still, she was helpless to prevent their deaths. She led them to the trucks that would take them to the place they would be murdered, in order to save herself.When the war was over, Cilka was sent to Siberia because she was charged with collaborating with the Germans, with sleeping with the enemy. In fact, she had no choice. If she had refused to sleep with the commandant, she would probably have been murdered herself. No prisoner in Auschwitz had a choice about anything. Cilka was a prisoner.
In Siberia, Cilka was chosen to be trained as a nurse. This opportunity provided her with better food and living conditions, however, most of the time she preferred to be in the hut she shared with her fellow prisoners because they had become friends. She also went out with the ambulance to rescue the injured and even went into the mine, under extremely dangerous conditions in order to rescue the trapped miners when there was a collapse or explosion. Many accidents occurred in the mines which had inadequate safety procedures. She was brave and risked her life often, to save others. Still, she harbored tremendous guilt because of what she had done in the Concentration Camp. When someone accused her of having blood on her hands, she collapsed in the snow and tried to scrub it off, although of course, it was only an accusation, and in fact, her hands were clean.
This is Cilka’s story. It is part fact and part fiction. It is not an easy read because even when one thinks they know all there is to know about evil in the world, there is always more to be discovered. She was just a teen when she went to the camp and only 18 when she was sent to Siberia. She was alone, had no family or friends, and was forced to grow up and confront the face of evil before she even had a chance to experience much of the brighter side of life. Yet her happy memories often did sustain her.
The Russians rivaled the Germans when it came to brutality. In Siberia, they worked the prisoners to death for long hours, fed them small quantities of poor quality food and housed them in buildings that were poorly built and inadequately insulated to withstand the harsh weather. It was not much different than the merciless treatment of prisoners that existed under the Germans. Many prisoners sickened and died. If a prisoner made a mistake or disobeyed a rule or angered a superior, the punishment was often violent and barbaric. Many did not survive.
Although it is based on the life of a real person, the author has taken great liberty to create a narrative to bring her to life. Still, the basic idea is front and center. Cilka was maligned and unjustly punished, but Cilka was also brave and strong and she survived. She symbolizes the unjust treatment of Jews during the Holocaust and Russia’s unjust treatment of the political prisoners afterward, in the countries that Russia controlled while Stalin was in power. Kruschev made changes when he rose to power that helped Cilka have a second chance at life.
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LibraryThing member phyllis.shepherd
A worthy follow up to "The Tattooist of Auschwitz," this is also based on a true story, that of Cilka, friend of Gita from the first book. Unfortunately, when the war is over, Cilka is not freed. Instead, her forced sexual servitude to an officer at Auschwitz results in her being charged as a
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collaborator for sleeping with the enemy, and she is sent to a Siberian prison camp. She again does what she must to survive, and is finally released after Stalin's death. Show Less
LibraryThing member HandelmanLibraryTINR
Cilka is just sixteen years old when she is taken to Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp in 1942, where the commandant immediately notices how beautiful she is. Forcibly separated from the other women prisoners, Cilka learns quickly that power, even unwillingly taken, equals survival. When the
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war is over and the camp is liberated, freedom is not granted to Cilka: She is charged as a collaborator for sleeping with the enemy and sent to a Siberian prison camp. But did she really have a choice? And where do the lines of morality lie for Cilka, who was send to Auschwitz when she was still a child? Show Less
LibraryThing member CassiesBooksReader
Cilka‘s Journey by Heather Morris is Historical Fiction based on fact. When I first started reading this book I thought when does this woman’s torture end. Will I be able to finish reading this book? My next thought was if she could endure the daily persecution by Nazi Socialists and by Soviet
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I appreciate the opportunity and thank the author and publisher for allowing me to read, enjoy and review this book.
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Socialists surely I can read about her life. What kind of people treat others in this manner and how are they given the power to do such atrocities? Gulag residents had lives of nightmares, constant fear, horror, degradation, deprivation and depravity. It is a heartbreaking story but then the story changes. A pervasive evil surrounds her but Cilka endures and more. A woman who thinks she cannot love, seems to love everyone even her enemies. It becomes a story of hope because of one person who touched and changed so many lives. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in history because of the factual details in the story, notes and the afterword. For everyone else the portrayal of a life well lived.I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I appreciate the opportunity and thank the author and publisher for allowing me to read, enjoy and review this book.
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LibraryThing member fredreeca
Cilka was just 16 years of age when she was sent Auschwitz-Birkenau. When the camp was liberated, Cilka was then arrested for being a collaborator. She was then sent to a Siberian gulag where she spent the next 10 years of her life.
Cilka's life in the gulag is as to be expected. She faces
Cilka is one of the strongest women I have ever read about. Not only is she tough and resilient. But she is kind and she sacrifices herself to help save others many heartaches.
This book is probably the best of the year for me. I enjoyed The Tatooist of Auschwitz. But, I felt the writing in that story was a little off. This tale of Cilka and her life is heart wrenching and very well written! I was completely captivated from start to finish!
This is a tale not to be missed!
I received this novel from St. Martin's Press for a honest review.
Cilka's life in the gulag is as to be expected. She faces
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starvation, freezing temperatures and unimaginable hard work. But because of a kind doctor, Cilka begins training as a nurse. This act of kindness guides Cilka to ways to help her fellow prisoners.Cilka is one of the strongest women I have ever read about. Not only is she tough and resilient. But she is kind and she sacrifices herself to help save others many heartaches.
This book is probably the best of the year for me. I enjoyed The Tatooist of Auschwitz. But, I felt the writing in that story was a little off. This tale of Cilka and her life is heart wrenching and very well written! I was completely captivated from start to finish!
This is a tale not to be missed!
I received this novel from St. Martin's Press for a honest review.
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LibraryThing member TheWasp
After 3 years, Cilka is the only survivor in her family to be liberated from Auschwitz/Buchenau and the horrors necessary to survive. But the Russians charge 19 year old Cilka with "sleeping with the enemy" and she is sentenced to 15 years in a Siberian Gulag. Her story is one of resilience and
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LibraryThing member nancyadair
In 1974 when I was twenty-two I met a woman who had come from Russia after World War II. I was new in town and not even half her age. In the morning when she saw my husband had left for work she would run across the street to my door. She asked why I did not have children yet, whispering that I
One day, in broken English, Nadya told me that when she was a teenager she volunteered to go to a German work farm in her father's stead. She told me she never could have children and thought that she had been sterilized at that camp. When the war ended she was given the choice of three places to go and she chose New Jersey in America. On the ship, she met a man who had also been in a camp and had no family left and they married. She could not read English or drive. I am now surprised she even told me this much of her story.
I was ignorant of the details of modern history at that time. I knew about Nazi Germany and the concentration camps from books I had read such as Anne Frank's Diary. Still, I had little appreciation of the horror Nadya had endured. I later realized that Nadya was perhaps was Polish or from another country taken over by the Nazis and not Russian. That the work farm was a prison camp. That she had no family or home to return to after the war.
We are surrounded by people with stories that they keep to themselves for many reasons. Sometimes because the stories are too painful to speak. Perhaps they don't have the words to express their experience. Sometimes people fear that their past will bring judgment from those who weren't there.
When Heather Morris talked with Lale Sokolov, listening to his story that would become her best-selling novel The Tattooist of Auschwitz, he told her that Cilka Klein saved his life. Morris knew she had to learn about Cilka and write her story. How did this teenager survive years in prison camps? Not only survive but have the strength to help others survive?
The people Morris interviewed gave conflicting stories about Cilka's character. She was a collaborator. She slept with the Nazis for favors. She helped them, saved them, sacrificed for others. Which was the real Cilka?
Cilka was only sixteen in 1942 when the Nazis rounded up Slovakian Jews and she was sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau. She was young and beautiful and soon slated to become a sex slave.
At the end of WWII, Russia rounded up people they feared had collaborated or spied for the Nazis and sent them to Siberia. Cilka had 'slept with the enemy' and knew several languages. Deemed an enemy of the state, she was sent to a prisoner camp near the Arctic Circle where mistreated prisoners mined coal by hand.
In Cilka's Journey, Morris recreates life in the Gulag interspersed with flashbacks revealing Celia's life before and during WWII. The book is filled with memorable characters, women who have lost everything and yet strive for a sense of order, community, and even beauty. They bond over the hope represented by a baby and forgive each other's frailties.
"History never gives up its secrets easily," Morris writes, but Cilka's story needed to be told. It is the story of a girl cast into the unimaginable, not once but twice in her young life. And it is the story of courage, the pragmatism needed to survive, the shame of survivor's guilt, and the empathy that spurs personal sacrifices to help another.
Lale never forgot Cilka. Thanks to Morris, neither will we.
I received an ARC through Bookish First in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
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should ask my husband--he'll know what to do. And she puzzled over my husband's job as an assistant pastor, asking "why two priests?"One day, in broken English, Nadya told me that when she was a teenager she volunteered to go to a German work farm in her father's stead. She told me she never could have children and thought that she had been sterilized at that camp. When the war ended she was given the choice of three places to go and she chose New Jersey in America. On the ship, she met a man who had also been in a camp and had no family left and they married. She could not read English or drive. I am now surprised she even told me this much of her story.
I was ignorant of the details of modern history at that time. I knew about Nazi Germany and the concentration camps from books I had read such as Anne Frank's Diary. Still, I had little appreciation of the horror Nadya had endured. I later realized that Nadya was perhaps was Polish or from another country taken over by the Nazis and not Russian. That the work farm was a prison camp. That she had no family or home to return to after the war.
We are surrounded by people with stories that they keep to themselves for many reasons. Sometimes because the stories are too painful to speak. Perhaps they don't have the words to express their experience. Sometimes people fear that their past will bring judgment from those who weren't there.
When Heather Morris talked with Lale Sokolov, listening to his story that would become her best-selling novel The Tattooist of Auschwitz, he told her that Cilka Klein saved his life. Morris knew she had to learn about Cilka and write her story. How did this teenager survive years in prison camps? Not only survive but have the strength to help others survive?
The people Morris interviewed gave conflicting stories about Cilka's character. She was a collaborator. She slept with the Nazis for favors. She helped them, saved them, sacrificed for others. Which was the real Cilka?
Cilka was only sixteen in 1942 when the Nazis rounded up Slovakian Jews and she was sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau. She was young and beautiful and soon slated to become a sex slave.
At the end of WWII, Russia rounded up people they feared had collaborated or spied for the Nazis and sent them to Siberia. Cilka had 'slept with the enemy' and knew several languages. Deemed an enemy of the state, she was sent to a prisoner camp near the Arctic Circle where mistreated prisoners mined coal by hand.
In Cilka's Journey, Morris recreates life in the Gulag interspersed with flashbacks revealing Celia's life before and during WWII. The book is filled with memorable characters, women who have lost everything and yet strive for a sense of order, community, and even beauty. They bond over the hope represented by a baby and forgive each other's frailties.
"History never gives up its secrets easily," Morris writes, but Cilka's story needed to be told. It is the story of a girl cast into the unimaginable, not once but twice in her young life. And it is the story of courage, the pragmatism needed to survive, the shame of survivor's guilt, and the empathy that spurs personal sacrifices to help another.
Lale never forgot Cilka. Thanks to Morris, neither will we.
I received an ARC through Bookish First in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
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LibraryThing member fastforward
I'm one of the few people who hasn't read the author's previous historical fiction book, The Tattooist of Auschwitz. I will eventually go back and read that one because I thought the author did an incredible job with Cilka's Journey. While this book features a character from the other novel, this
Cilka was just sixteen years old when she was taken to Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp. She does what she can to survive and in 1945 the camp is liberated. However, she is not free as she has been accused of sleeping with the enemy and is sent to a Siberian prison camp. With conditions not much better than those at the concentration camp, Cilka once again is going to have to find the strength to fight for her life.
There are different types of historical fiction books and this one is more heavy on the fiction side. Unfortunately so many details about the real life Cilka remain unknown. and I'm glad the author is upfront about how she pieced together facts along with her imagination to come up with the story. In my opinion, Heather Morris did a good job showing the harsh and inhumane conditions of these post-war prison camps. I believe she captured the essence of what it might have been like for Cilka and other prisoners and to me that's what makes this such a worthwhile read regardless of whether it was 100% factual or not. While the war might have ended in 1945, so many people, like Cilka, continued to suffer and that is something that should never be forgotten.
The only slight criticism I have about the book is I felt like it was a rushed ending. I'm not trying to give away spoilers, so I will just say I'm specifically talking about the Epilogue. I think there was some room to expand there as I was left wanting just a bit more.
Overall, this was an incredible book and I'm thankful the author felt it was a story worth telling. Simply put, go out and read this book!
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review!
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one can easily be read as a standalone. Cilka was just sixteen years old when she was taken to Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp. She does what she can to survive and in 1945 the camp is liberated. However, she is not free as she has been accused of sleeping with the enemy and is sent to a Siberian prison camp. With conditions not much better than those at the concentration camp, Cilka once again is going to have to find the strength to fight for her life.
There are different types of historical fiction books and this one is more heavy on the fiction side. Unfortunately so many details about the real life Cilka remain unknown. and I'm glad the author is upfront about how she pieced together facts along with her imagination to come up with the story. In my opinion, Heather Morris did a good job showing the harsh and inhumane conditions of these post-war prison camps. I believe she captured the essence of what it might have been like for Cilka and other prisoners and to me that's what makes this such a worthwhile read regardless of whether it was 100% factual or not. While the war might have ended in 1945, so many people, like Cilka, continued to suffer and that is something that should never be forgotten.
The only slight criticism I have about the book is I felt like it was a rushed ending. I'm not trying to give away spoilers, so I will just say I'm specifically talking about the Epilogue. I think there was some room to expand there as I was left wanting just a bit more.
Overall, this was an incredible book and I'm thankful the author felt it was a story worth telling. Simply put, go out and read this book!
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review!
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ISBN
1250265703 / 9781250265708