This is the first book of Heather Morris that I have read, and I must now go and read The Tattooist of Auschwitz. Cilka's Journey portrays the trials, encounters, and way of life for Cilka not only when she was a prisoner in Auschwitz, but also when she was a prisoner in Gulags immediately afterwards. Cilka was only 16 when she was sent to Auschwitz. There she made hard decisions in order to survive. When she was sentenced to the Gulags, Cilka had to make more tough decisions in order to survive. Cilka's Journey is filled with emotional strife and the reasons behind why Cilka chose to make certain decisions. This was not an easy book to read, but I found that the way that Ms. Morris brought us Cilka's story not only engulfed me, but I was not left wondering or asking what if? I highly recommend Cilka's Journey to those who love history. Thank you Netgalley, Ms. Harris, and St. Martin's Press for introducing me to a new author and a wonderful tale love, loss, friendships, and the traumatic and drastic measures one strong woman, among many, had to make in order to survive and thrive.

All the heartbreaking stars!!!

Currently working on full review. I just need to stop crying first.

It is unimaginable that anyone could have endured Hitler and be led from Auschwitz-Birkenau to The Vorkuta Gulag in Siberia and live to tell the story. Cilka’s Journey is the story of Cilka, a real life hero, who at 16 years old was taken with her family to Auschwitz, where she was raped by senior SS officers. She survived Auschwitz-Birkenau only to be sent directly to Siberia for sleeping and collaborating with the enemy. After 3 years in Auschwitz Cilka endured 10 years in Siberia where she worked in the mines, in below freezing temperatures. In the Gulag she was once again raped over and over again. In these situations the common theme among survivors is the guilt they feel for what they had to do to survive. Until Cilka’s Journey I had not read much about Stalin and the forced labor camps in Siberia. Heather Morris has written another outstanding book, Cilka’s Journey follows Cilka’s life from Morris’s first book The Tattooist of Auschwitz but can be read as a stand alone. One quote that stands out to me from the book is when Cilka is in the Gulag and says “This pain is my punishment for surviving and I need to feel it, live it.” Thank you Heather Morris, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read an ARC of Cilka’s Journey and write an honest review. Cilka’s Journey comes out October 1, 2019 make sure to read it, it is important to support works on the holocaust so that we never forget.

The premise of this book is designed to shock. Cilka is sent to Birkenau in 1942. At sixteen years old, she is forced to become a sex slave of the Commandant. She also is put in charge of the barracks housing the women going to the gas chambers. When the Russians liberated the camp, she is charged as a collaborator for working with and sleeping with the enemy and sentenced to a labor camp in Siberia for fifteen years.

The story alternates between Cilka’s time in Siberia and her time back in Birkenau. We see the horrors of what she endures in both places. She suffers horrible survivor’s guilt yet continues to persevere. Because of her intelligence, she is trained to be a nurse. Through it all, she seeks a way to give her life meaning and find a way to compensate for what she did in Birkenau. At times, I questioned whether the author made Cilka just a little too good to be true.

The author keeps the pace up and she never lingers too long on any one scene. This helps the reader as some of the issues Cilka faces are graphic and disturbing.

The book is wonderful for what it makes us think about. How would we have acted? Not just in Birkenau but also in the gulag.

Cilka existed in real life, but this is very much a piece of fiction. There wasn’t much to go on but the author did do a good amount of research into life in the gulags. The book includes an essay at the end concerning the gulags and it’s well worth reading.

The book is considered the second in a series, but can easily be read as a standalone. It would make a book club selection.

My thanks to netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.

I loved the Cilka character in The Tattooist of Auschwitz and I could not wait to read this boo once I found out it was coming out. It is a tough read in some parts, as the women and men have to deal with so many atrocities. It made me cry for them that they were able to survive and that they were able to see hope when time was at its bleakest. Cilka had been 16 when she was sent to Auschwitz and she survived the only way she knew how. When the war was over she was tried for treason and sentenced to 15 years in a Siberian work camp. It felt hopeless... like she was never going to get any breaks. The kindness of a doctor that worked there helped her when she was at her lowest. I loved the Yelena character. She really helped Cilka come to her own. I could not help it, my heart hurt for Cilka when she had to endure abuse from the other prisoners, as well as not know what else was out there. But this is a story of hope and survival in the end. 5 stars. Highly recommend.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Warning, if you are on a vacation visiting in a city you have never been to that has so much to see and do, wait to read this when you return home. This was my case. I had a hard time putting this down to be a tourist in Mexico City. I had read Ms. Morris' book The Tattooist of Auschwitz and loved that book. She learned about Cilka while researching that book. All I can say that it is powerful. While there are some indirect references to the previous book, the reader does not need to read these in order.

If you enjoy historical fiction, this is a book for you.

Thank you, NetGalley for an advanced copy.

If you have read the The Tattooist of Auschwitz, this is a must read. Gut wrenching sequel that brings the horrors of the hateful Nazi camps and the Soviet forced labor camps to life. Difficult and uncomfortable to read, but we should all be aware of the atrocities. This book will break your heart, but then help us remember that there are/were good people in the world.
I could not put the book down!
Thank you St Martins Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read this amazing book.

I am always grateful when authors take us on little known journeys that open our minds and touch our hearts. In this historical fiction account, Heather Morris details the heartbreaking young life of Cecilia Klein (Cilka), after she was imprisoned and tortured in Auschwitz. <i>Cilka's Journey</i> focuses on the time after Cilka's charges of German collaboration and her consequent sentencing in a Russian prison camp. It is unfathomable that some prisoners from Jewish concentration camps were actually sentenced further for merely doing what was necessary to stay alive. This particular Gulag was located in the harshest of climates and the prisoners were subjected to intolerable conditions. It is an absolute tribute to the human spirit that Cilka persevered despite the constant barrage of human cruelty she endured in her young life.

Morris' writing is fundamental with little adornment, and yet, this type of writing works incredibly well with the subject. It lends a somber feeling to the story, which is certainly in line with poor Cilka's life. Kudos to the author for educating her readers about this little-known event in the aftermath of the Holocaust.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for gifting me with this advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review. This title will be released on Oct. 1, 2019.

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I'm currently all up in my feelings right now 😭 #cilkasjourney #heathermorris #tattoistofauschwitz this book hands down is a must read. The story of Cilka and her bravery of what she experienced in this thing called life is nothing short of amazing. I am sitting here with tears in my eyes and a heart that wants to hug this beautiful, brave woman. She is something we should all aspire to be. "History never gives up its secrets easily. But stories like Cilka’s deserve to be told, and I’m humbled and honored to bring it to you. She was just a girl, who became a woman, who was the bravest person Lale Sokolov ever met. " - Heather Morris. #booksofinstagram #books📚 #bookstagram #strength #bravery #nowords

Thank you, Heather Morris, for bringing honor and remembrance to so many who were persecuted during and after WW II. I greatly enjoyed your first book, “Tattooist of Auschwitz” and feel honored to read and review “Cilka’s Journey”. Cilka’s story follows in the steps of Lale, the tattooist, but it can easily be a stand-alone book. The storyline of this book is based on actual events, and whenever possible, historical documentation was used to adhere as closely as possible to actual events.
It’s shocking to learn that many of the female survivors of the German camps were immediately sent to Soviet prisoner of war camps. Their crime: being repeatedly raped by the Germans while prisoner. The Soviets viewed this as “corroboration”. The camp Cilka was sent to was located in the heart of Siberia; freezing weather, horrible living conditions and deadly work mining coal for the Soviet Union.
There are parts where the writing seems somewhat simple, but I think the writer is trying to stick to the thoughts and feelings of Lale, Gita and their fellow prisoners, avoiding dwelling on the deep history and background of the daily status of the war. I appreciate that style; it dedicates all emotion to the story of their love and their will to survive and help others survive with them.
This heartfelt book is a document to the perseverance of humans during parts of our worst and most inhumane history.
(I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks so much to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for making it available.)

Based on the life of a real woman, Cilka's Journey is the story of a beautiful 16 year old girl sent to Auschwitz in the 1940's. She survives by doing what she must, the only way she can, by submitting to the Germans. When the Soviets liberate Auschwitz, they subsequently sentence her to 15 years in the Russian Gulag for "collaborating" with the Germans. This book is mostly the story of her years in Siberia, with flashbacks to her time at Auschwitz. It is a powerful look at what she and others had to do to survive; the sometimes hard decisions that had to be made amidst the horrors of that time, both German and Russian; the power of friendship; of humanity kept alive by only traces of hope; and the resilience of the human heart. Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an e-arc of this moving novel. The real Cilka was an exceptional woman. High recommend - 4.5 stars.

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 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.

Cilka's Journey is literally truly a journey, both through time and through her life. I thought "The Tattooist of Auschwitz" was an engrossing read, but Ms. Morris has brought Cilka's life to reality. The book is based on a true story of a Jewish woman who had been imprisioned in Auschwitz. At the end of WWII, she believed that she would be released. However, that was not the case. The book is as true as the author could make it, butbecause "Cilka" had passed, she performed more research. And it was amazingly well done. This book was an amazing read and highly recommended!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this remarkable book. It is one I will not soon forget.

What happened to Cilka after Auschwitz? Well, she was sentenced to hard labor in Siberia for "collaborating with the Nazis". Because she wanted to survive, she allowed herself to be raped, and in exchange, was given the role of hut leader with a private room. Unfortunately, this hut contained those women who where on their way to be gassed. Anyway, Cilka was sent to Siberia, and started working in the mines. But, she soon found her way to working in the camp hospital, where the doctor and nurses helped her learn nursing. She even got to go on ambulance runs. This book contains flashbacks to her time before and during Auschwitz. It's a very good read.

The Tattooist Of Auschwitz was good. Very good, in fact. But Cilka’s Journey was amazing.

This young woman survived more than any of us can even imagine. She saw the absolute worst of the world during WWII, and then saw it again when she was sentenced to hard labor in a Russian work camp.

Despite this, she remained focused on the good. She fought for herself and her fellow prisoners. Cilka is the kind of woman who embodies love and hope.

The one thing I wish this book had was more of her life after the prison camp. I wanted to experience her life after and see her happy and free.

Perhaps that can be the next book.

As much as I loved Lale and Gita in the Tattooist Of Auschwitz, I felt more connected to Cilka and her story.

Thank you to @stmartinspress for the gifted copy.

This was a very well-written novel about a girl who survived a German concentration camp only to be imprisoned in a Russian gulag.
I would rate it a 4.5

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 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.

Silka’s journey is a solid sequel that lives up to its predecessor. Chapter by chapter traps you between the white nights and the long and cold winters that the main character goes through to earn her freedom. A small touch of romance and friendship, almost sisterhood makes it feel even more real and raw.

After and amazing story like the tattooist not an easy task to build the continuation based on small pieces of the true history of Cilka and yet this book accomplished the challenge.

Thumbs up!

As expected this was a difficult - as in gut-wrenching - and heartbreaking tale about a young woman during the holocaust and her indomitable spirit that helps her persevere through the aftermath of being sentenced to hard labor in Siberia AFTER being freed from Auschwitz! I love historical fiction and this story is based on an account of a fellow concentration camp survivor about the "bravest person he ever knew", Cilka, a young Jewish girl who was also a character in the previous book, The Tattooist of Auschwitz, which unfortunately I have not read...yet.

The last time I felt this much sadness, hopelessness, and despair when reading a book was in high school (a VERY long time ago) when I had to read The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. So the fact that I can compare the emotion to a classic is a good thing! But the tone of this book actually changes a bit once Cilka moves up in the ranks. I am in awe of her spirit and optimism, which makes such a difficult story "unputdownable". I read it in two nights (I DO have other things I need to do in my life besides reading books all day, but if I didn't I could definitely have read it in one sitting - except for occasional breaks to take a breath so I didn't cry! ) It unexpectedly took a turn for the positive and the glimmer of hope at the end made for a good story, even inspiring. I do wonder how much of it could really have gone that way since it is only based on facts but is ultimately a fictional story. I think what anyone in this century can take away from this is that no matter how evil humans can be, the human spirit can persevere and in fact thrive. I can't imagine how horrific this experience may have been for people at that time going through these traumas and I cannot speak to the authenticity of any of it, but it is a terrific story and worth a read regardless of whether or not it is historically accurate.

I love anything set in the times of the Holocaust, I read as much as I can about it so that my brain can start to comprehend that THIS WAS REAL. It is so frightening. Having loved The Tattooist of Auschwitz, I knew I would like this book.

The book is obviously extremely well researched making for extremely brilliant writing. Darker than the Tattoist of Auschwitz but equally as moving, brave, courageous and inspiring.