Tears flowed several times while reading this book. Emotionally charged and moving story of a tragic time. While I don't think you have to read the Tattooist of Auschwitz first, I'm moved to read it now.

Very moving story of girl sent to a death camp at 16, and forcibly separated from the other women prisoners, When the war is over and the camp is liberated, she's charged as a collaborator for sleeping with the enemy and sent to a Siberian prison camp. It explores issues of morality and choice in a very compelling, heartbreaking read.

Thanks to Netgalley, Jordan Hanley, and St. Martin's Press for a digital galley in exchange for an honest review.

A review with a touch of caution...


Heather Morris knows how to break our hearts. After all, my heart did break when reading "The Tattooist of Auschwitz " last winter. In Cilka's Journey ,Morris returns with the tale of Cilka Klein, the young Jewish woman that Gita and Lale knew in the camp. Many men and women did not instantly find freedom with the end of the war. Instead, they found themselves facing the devastating reality of Stalin's gulags. For years, Cilka will endure a life of many hardships and grapple with the shame of what happened in Auschwitz.

Unlike her previous book where she interviewed Lale, the author never spoke to Cilka. Much of what is written in this book is based on what others ( Lale, Cilka's neighbors and people who knew her in the camp) had to say about her. As Morris states, the book is her way of pushing for more of the truth to come out. What is appreciated is all of the additional historical information that was compiled in the making of this book.

Now I cannot shy away from the controversy that does surround both the previous book and this one. The Auschwitz Memorial Centre has been very clear on the problems that have in fact created an inauthentic representation and that is largely because of Cilka's supposed relationship with a high ranking SS official. As well as several details about the camp that are not backed up by history. If this were to be a film, it would probably state "inspired by (some) real events" rather than "based on a true story. "

So my 4 star rating is evaluating this book as a novel of fiction and not a history book.


Goodreads review published 21/09/19
Publication Date. 01/10/19

Heather Morris has written another heart wrenching book on what it must have been like to be in the grips of uncaring and brutal men. It makes you question how you would handle such situations-- do as you're told to survive or defy the enemy. She soon learns the importance of her decision that leads her to a horrific place and dire consequences.

Cilka's Journey was an interesting story, and the nonfiction pieces included at the end of the book supplied very enlightening information about the gulag system. However, the author's style of writing, which is that everything is present tense, is a negative for me. It makes the writing seem overly simplistic and the sentences themselves seem choppy. I had planned to read The Tattooist of Auschwitz when I finished Cilka, but I checked and it, too, appears to have been written in present tense, so I think I'll pass. Perhaps the author chose this style to make the reader feel "in the moment," but it was an annoyance to me and detracted from the book. I am rating the book fairly high based on the story itself and the informational pieces at the end.

This is the best book that I have read this year. Beautifully written, the story based on the life of Cilka Klein was emotional, sad, and mostly horrific. Parts of it were so difficult to read knowing that this was a true story., unbelievable to think that this is the treatment inflicted on young girls at the time ( and everyone else for that matter). I have read many WW2 books, but this was one of the rare ones that really touched my heart in so many ways. I enjoyed reading the author’s notes at the end talking about her research into Cilka’s life.
I did not read The Tattooist of Auschwitz, but I intend to, since I’d like to read everything this author has written.

This book is based on historical events that were heartbreaking to read about. I found myself wanting to stand up for the injustice, yet drawn into finishing the book to find out if Cilka makes it out. I would allow my teen to read this book, as an older more mature read. The violence was disturbing but I think necessary for the story to be realistic. Lots of kiddos to the author for telling Cilka’s Journey.

I have read many WWII books but this is my first one telling about the prison camps after the war in the Soviet Union way up in Siberia. These camps were still functioning up into the 1950’s, this book offers quite a bit of information about them. I have the author’s previous book The Tattooist of Auschwitz in my library but I read this one first. My first suggestion is to pay close attention to the first two chapters, they set the stage for the entire rest of the book.
This story is about Cecilia Klein, called Cilka, whom was first taken to Auschwitz when she was barely sixteen, she lost her parents and sister there, and she was forced into life as a prostitute for the German soldiers. When Auschwitz was liberated by the Soviets, she was then convicted for corroboration and sentenced to hard labor to a Stalin gulag prison. This is a fictional story based upon the true events of Cilka’s life and journey.
I loved the way this story was told, the writing was excellent, the character development is perfect, the chapter titles informed you what year they covered while we switched back and forth between Cilka’s time in Auschwitz and then in the gulag, this helps so much in following the timeline. Of all the WWII books I’ve read, this is one of the best. The descriptions of life in the hut, the women’s treatment by the soldiers, the nursing duties Cilka learned and performed, the epilogue and absolutely the whole story is awesome, the research is excellent.
I appreciate and am so glad to have been given the opportunity to receive this book from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. This one gets a high 5 stars!!! Well done Ms. Morris, well done!!

Although I haven’t read The Tattooist of Auschwitz, which I will read, I was enthralled with the story of Cilka and her powerful will to help others and survive the horrific conditions in the Soviet Gulag. Author’s notes reveal stories from Lale and his friendship with Cilka, which shows her determination to make life better for as many people as she can, with no regard for her own needs. In 1942, Cilka was only sixteen when she lived in Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp. The officers saw her beauty and used her for their own pleasure. She did what she had to do to survive, but is then charged with being with the enemy and sent to Siberia, where guards again notice her beauty. Instead of falling apart, she works for the safety of the people around her, making lifelong friends and showing women what it takes to be true to yourself in any conditions. This is a powerful book! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, and Heather Morris for this ARC.

What a harrowing, compelling, wonderful story-I could not put it down. This account of a Jewish Slovakian girl, Cilka Klein, at the age of 16 has her life and choice taken away by the Nazi regime. She is a survivor, however, and does what she determines is needed to live. We see her survive Auschwitz-Birkenau only to end up in a Siberian labor camp. Cilka does what’s necessary to survive this but also to help others survive also. This story is told with compassion but doesn’t spare the truth to sugar coat anything. #cilkasjourney will stick with me for a long time and I thank #netgalley for the prepublication galley to read in exchange for this review.

OMG - what a phenomenal read!! Ms. Morris has a great gift for setting the scenes and making the characters realistic. The book is so finely crafted that I found myself TOTALLY immersed in this novel from the first page.

I won't repeat the publisher's book blurb - they did a fine job in describing the book. I will tell you instead, that I've read many novels based on the real events of WWII, and this ranks among the best.

Based on the life of a real person, Cecelia (Cilka) Klein, this is the sequel to The Tatooist of Auschwitz, and a continuation of Cilka's story. This book stands strongly on its own, so don't feel that you must read The Tatooist of Auschwitz first to enjoy this book.

No story about the WWII concentration camps or the Soviet gulags is light reading. One cannot escape the feelings of horror,disbelief and great sadness about what occurred in these places at that time in history. The inhumaneness of it all is appalling. That's what makes books such as this so very important - that we truly see the horror, and take action to ensure it never happens again.

You will find Cilka's story heart-breaking and horrifying. But you will also see many acts of kindness, mercy, sacrifice, forgiveness and selflessness. You will cry, you will be uplifted, you will be in awe of the human spirit and will to survive, you will be enlightened. One thing is certain, after reading this book, you will never be the same. It sinks into your soul and it stays there.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Jordan Hanley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read a digital copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

An excruciating , painful story but very well written. The atrocities unbelievable as all the WWII stories are. We cannot close are eyes to this and must always remember. Hopefully never to occur again!

Cilka’s Journey was an enthralling tale of hardship and survival in a dark time in world history. Cilka, a young survivor of Auschwitz, is sent to a Soviet camp in Siberia after being accused of consorting with the enemy.
The book is a brilliant story of relationships between women: sisters, mothers, daughters, friends, enemies, no bond is left out. It is also a stark example of what happened to countless people under soviet rule, and the terrible atrocities that continued to plague the world long after the war had ended.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley and the publisher.
All opinions are my own .


This follow up the the tattooist of auschwitz was a beautiful book. emotionally hard to read as all books about the holocaust and it’s aftermath are but certainly worth it. Lovely story and the I’d recommend it.

Thank you NetGalley for this book in exchange for a honest review.

Loved this book! The story flows the characters are fascinating and I couldn't put it down. Highly recommend.

This is the sequel to The Tattooist of Auschwitz. Cilka, whose real name is Cecilia Klein, was introduced to us in that book. At the age of 16, she was taken to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. Her will to survive allows her stay alive, but after the war, she is charged as a Nazi collaborator (she learned that her survival depended on doing some things she would never have done given a choice) for sleeping with the enemy. She had been “adopted” by one of the Nazi commanders which gave the appearance of cooperation with the enemy. So after being liberated from the concentration camp, she is convicted and sent to Siberia where she once again puts survival over morality (if that is the right way to put it). Once again, Cilka must do what it takes to survive under unthinkable circumstances, and although the threat of extermination is gone, the climate and the prison personnel are formidable foes. While the Tattooist was based on interviews with Lale Sololov, this book is truly fiction as the author was never able to speak with Cilka although Lale definitely did talk about her when being interviewed. The gulag system did exist in the USSR from the mid-1930’s until after Stalin’s death in 1953, and the conditions are well documented now. Another emotional story from a very good author. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to review the ARC of this book.

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
How does someone survive a labor camp, let alone two? How much can one person suffer?
Living freely here in America I can’t even take in all the brutal conditions she endured. I think the thing that got to me the most was how awful the prisoners were to each other. Of course I couldn’t ignore the unfair treatment from the guards either but I couldn’t believe how these people we’re living.
The author once again pulled me as I watched her tell me of the horrors and the sacrifices being made in this place. Friendships were made and love still grew in these awful conditions. Evil was everywhere and at times I could barely take it in but I had to finish this. I’m very glad I read this and I’d definitely recommend it to my friends.

This was a NETGALLEY gift and all opinions are my own.

Imagine surviving Auschwitz only to be declared a political prisoner and shipped off for 15 years hard labor in Siberia. Such is the fate of Cilka Klein.

Cilka’s resilience in the face of so much atrocity is truly inspiring. Her struggles with memories of the camp and PTSD particularly stood out for me.

Anyone who has read Heather Morris' debut novel, The Tattooist of Auschwitz, will recognise the name of the character Cilka, good friend of Gita & Lale during their time imprisoned at Auschwitz-Birkenau together. She was the young, beautiful, fairly quiet - somewhat enigmatic - one. If you wondered what fate befell this Slovakian teen, this second novel will fill you in. But even if you haven't read the Tattooist, you can easily read this one as a standalone; enough information is given to bring you up to speed and fill in any gaps.

When the Russian army came to liberate the concentration camp, it should have been the beginning of a new, better life for Cilka. But labelled a collaborator for her passive resistance to the actions of her Nazi captors, Cilka is sentenced without trial to 15 years in the Siberian gulag of Vorkuta, 99 miles above the Arctic Circle. There she finds herself facing many similar but some new challenges, as she focuses on survival alongside political prisoners, common criminals and other enemies of the state. A stroke of extremely good fortune early in her sentence, has Cilka taken under the wing of a civilian doctor in the gulag hospital, and she begins to hope that she will be strong enough to complete her term of imprisonment.

I wondered if this novel was going to be more fictionalised than the first. However it seems that at the very least, the major elements of Cilka's story have been very thoroughly researched. It is a great, fascinating story, so I feel mean rating it slightly lower than Tattooist. But there were two things that slightly detracted from my reading experience. The first was the way Morris delivered the dramatic tension - it was too episodic for my liking. Sometimes it felt like sitting in a boat on a choppy sea, with the tension building (never too high) over the course of a chapter or two, then suddenly something positive happens...over and over again. On the one hand, it's a true (ish) story, so that's just the way it happened. But by publishing it as fiction, I think Morris could have taken more liberties in the way the story played out, to be able to bring it on more of a climactic arc. The other issue I had was that it was written in the present tense, which I 'noticed' and thought about more than I probably wanted to.

Overall I thought it was a fantastic story, with a couple of minor problems in delivery.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ /5⁣⁣
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I couldn't put this book down. I've read so many books about the Holocaust, and never once heard a thing about the Gulag in Vorkuta, Siberia. I read this with a buddy group, but couldn't keep myself from reading ahead of schedule. Oops.⁣
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This book was disturbing on so many levels. I enjoyed Ms. Morris's previous book, The Tattooist of Auschwitz, but Cilka's Journey really, really wins her accolades. I don't personally rate books 5⭐ often, so best believe this book was worth carrying around with me to read at every turn. ⁣⁣
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Thank you, NetGalley (@netgalley), St. Martin's Press (@stmartinspress ) and Heather Morris (@heatherrelizabethh ) for a free e-copy in exchange for my honest review. ⁣
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