This book was received as an ARC from St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

Although this book is a work of fiction, it is based on a real person, a person who lived a life one can barely imagine. The author gave a voice to Cilka and others like her, and told a story that can be very sad and unimaginable but needs not to be forgotten. The authors afterward is what, in my opinion, completes the novel. After enduring so much heartache and pain, both physical and mental, it is amazing that this girl/woman was able to survive.

Heather Morris, thank you for keeping Cilka, Lale and Gita’s memories alive. This is a story I won’t soon forget.

If you loved The Tattooist you will also love Cilka's Journey. It is unbelievable what this woman goes through. Her life is so unbelievably sad and in the end happy. She is courageous, resilient and a born leader. This book is heartwrenching. But it also will give you hope. A must read.

Cilka's story is so unbelievable and I can't believe what a strong woman she was! The story is that much more special knowing how much research Heather Morris did to accurately portray her life and her challenges and successes. Fans of "The Tattooist of Auchwitz" will fall in love with Cilka and find themselves easily rooting for her. Cilka's strength and resiliency is next level and cannot be duplicated. This book details all of the times she was knocked down, yet continued to fight and prevail. She helped so many people in the book and always had others' interests in the forefront of her mind. and Morris truly brought her story to life. I enjoyed following along with her fascination with Aleksander, her friendships with Josie, Yelena and her fellow hut mates and workers, rooting for them all along the way. This book, though a heavy subject, was easy to read for many reasons. Morris is a wonderful storyteller, descriptive and detailed, and you want to keep reading to find out what happens to Cilka and co. Well done, Heather Morris! Thank goodness people like Cilka existed.

Excellent follow-up novel to The Tattooist of Auschwitz. Cilka is a friend of Gita and Lale's from the first book, they meet in the concentration camp. Cilka is just 16 when taken from her home to this terrible death camp and eventually forced to become a sex slave to Nazi officers because she is young and beautiful. She endures unbelievable pain and suffering. When the war is finally over, Cilka is then convicted as a war criminal because of the position she was given in return for sex, and is sent to a Russian work camp in the North. Another terrible place with unlivable conditions where Cilka is forced to adapt and survive again. This is an epic story of the life of one young prisoner in WWII and how she survived. An amazing story of survival under the most brutal circumstances. Do not miss this book! Thanks to NG for the ARC!!!!

Like many people I fell in love with The Tattooist of Auschwitz last year and was very excited to get Cilka's journey to review. I loved this book and am very glad that I was able to read it.

Cilka was mentioned briefly in the previous novel and is once again based on the life of a real person. When Auschwitz was liberated by the Soviet Union at the end of World War II Cilka was imprisoned for collaborating with the Nazi's because was treated as separate and special. She is then sent to the Gulag with a 15 year sentence. Here she has to learn to survive again and she begins to find her place and show how she can have power even when powerless.

This book is a hard book to read and is not one for the faint of heart, but I felt a connection to Cilka immediately. Her pain was evident, but the way her story was written was so intriguing and made me want to continue reading.

Cilka made a lot of hard decisions in her life, some that many around her didn't understand, but it just proved her strength even more.

This is a very good book and one that I won't be able to shake for a while.

We all wondered what happened to some of the characters in The Tattooist of Auschwitz, and once again we are given a heart wrenching look into their lives.
Cilka survived the concentration camps any way she could, and those decisions saw her taken away to another prison after liberation. The heartaches and horrors she again witnesses make her story of survival that more incredible..

What The Nightingale by Kristan Hannah did in bringing attention to the women of the French Resistance, Cilka's Journey by Heather Morris brings insight into the little known Russian Gulags. Ms Morris has written a mesmerizing account of a courageous woman in a horrific part of human history. Conditions at the Gulag were brutal. The compassion and empathy Cilka displays towards her fellow prisoners, patients and others tells much of her fortitude and strength. She was a remarkable woman. Prisoners could be required to work up to 14 hours a day, often in extreme weather at times facing sub-zero temperatures. Many died of starvation, disease or exhaustion. Violence, brutality and rape were part of the women prisoners existence. The additional history and notes at the end of novel were appreciated and gave more insight into a little known part of history.

Many thanks to Jordan Hanley at St Martins for recommending the book and to St Martins and Ms Morris for the opportunity for preview the book.

Wow! I loved this book. This book is about Cilka Klein's time in a Russian prison after spending years in Auschwitz. This book is about resilience, hope, kindness, and determination at one of the worst times in history. Cilka lived through unthinkable horrors in the Russian Gulags yet did selfless things to help her fellow prisoners and friends. She was an amazing woman that did what it took to survive. In the end you have to cheer and hope she truly had a peaceful life, full of love.

I would like to thank #NetGalley for a review copy of Cilka's Journey by Heather Morris. I did read the The Tattooist of Auschwitz before diving into this book. It was somewhat helpful to read first but not necessary.

5 ★ What effect would it have on you, if you believed you were rescued from certain death but instead you’re judged and sentenced harshly on what you were forced to do by your captors?

Heather Morris has written yet another moving and powerful novel. We first met Cilka Klein in The Tattooist of Auschwitz. Cilka’s Journey follows her life after the war and is an emotional story of survival, hope and resilience.

After surviving Auschwitz and being liberated by the Russians in 1945, Cilka is then charged as a collaborator for sleeping with the enemy. She was mistress to a Nazi officer being repeatedly raped, and although it was a choice between life or death, she’s sentenced to fifteen years hard labor at a Gulag camp in Siberia. Imagine how devastating that would be. To survive Auschwitz only to be sent as a prisoner to a Siberian Gulag.
With Stalin not any different than Hitler, Cilka went through the worst possible conditions imaginable, challenges all too familiar.
Cilka is befriended by Yelena, a doctor who actually volunteered to be there to help those that need it in the harsh surroundings. She see’s that Cilka is smart and has potential offering her a job in the hospital, offers training in nursing, and asking Cilka to assist her in surgeries. Cilka uses what she learns to help other prisoners.
Cilka made a positive impact on those around her through her noble acts of selflessness, and her determination, drive and tenacity to never give up. Cilka felt compassion for those around her putting them before herself, even over her own freedom when offered it.

Both novels, The Tattooist of Auschwitz and Cilka’s Journey are based on real life people. I’m grateful that Heather Morris has chosen to write their stories keeping the reminder there for all to remember. We should not forget to make sure it never happens again.

*Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the complimentary copy. All opinions are my own. Pub date 10/1/19*

"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."

I really enjoyed this one. It was a unique point of view on a woman who was lucky enough to survive the concentration camps only to be punished for doing so. She uses the survival skills the Nazi's taught her to survive the Siberian Prison. All the while trying to protect those around her. We see her heartbreak and love as she struggles.

I've always loved authors who take history and make it into a story you can't put down. While we are hoping for Cilka to survive, we also feel the doubt and jealousy of those who questioned how she did it. Despite all the previous stories of World War II, this one truly gave us a new one. Highly recommend. #netgalley #netgalleyreviewer #bookreview #bookreviewer #cilka #cilkasjourney

Though Cilka’s Journey is a sequel, you can read it as a stand alone. I didn’t read The Tattooist of Auschwitz, yet I was enthralled Cilka’s Journey. As you can see from the book’s synopsis, Cilka was a prisoner in Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp. Yet when the camp was liberated Cilka was not free. She was once again taken prisoner for a crime she didn’t commit, at least not willingly. She was raped time and time again. And when she should have been set free, she was stuffed into another cattle car.

I don’t remember ever learning about Siberian gulags in school, and I’m Gen X! I mean, somehow I knew that “bad guys” got sent to Siberia. But Cilka wasn’t a “bad guy” and neither were many of the prisoners. Though Cilka’s Journey is a work of fiction, it’s based on true events. Cilka was a real person who suffered horribly. The atrocities the prisoners of the gulag endured are unimaginable to me as someone who lives in the 21st century United States. The author’s research truly brings the gulag to life in the pages of Cilka’s Journey.

I love that throughout the book, there are moments of hope. In spite of their circumstances, the prisoners could find friendships and support. Enemies became friends. If they could find common ground, hope, and friendships while enduring this grueling labor, how much more should we be able to do it in a world where we’re so blessed? I definitely recommend Cilka’s Journey.

I finished Cilka's Journey last night, emotionally drained, yet surprisingly uplifted. What an incredible story about survival and the choices an individual makes to just get from one day to the next! Two things stand out - Cilka's generosity to help those close to her and an utter amazement at what this young woman was able to accomplish and learn. I find myself wondering how her life might have been different if she had escaped being sent to a Nazi concentration camp. Would she have lived a life of leisure and/or adventure? Would the desire/need to help others have developed or was that a product of her experiences?

Cilka's Journey would be a great book discussion title and should definitely be made into a movie. This is an era that must not be forgotten. Thank you, Heather Morris.

This is Cilka Klein’s story. An incredible account of one woman's journey through the depths of hell and survival. After surviving in the Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp for 3 years and seeing and experiencing the most horrific events the camp is liberated and Cilka is freed to only be sentenced to fifteen years in a Siberian gulag for collaborating with the Nazis. This is a gut wrenching, heart breaking story of survival. Being called brave is an understatement. Based on true events during this time I can only imagine the strength and will to survive to defy the hate that so many succumbed too.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. This review is in my own words.

Is it possible to love Cilka’s story more than Lale and Gita’s? An easy 5 stars. This book was heartbreaking, but reading how Cilka was so brave made the heartbreaking moments worth it. I loved how the author included her past in the chapters; both in Birkenau and her childhood. Cilka was sent to Birkenau at age 16 where she spent three years. After those three years she was charged with collaborating with the Nazis and sent to a prison camp called Vortuka Gulag in Siberia where she spent 8 years of her life. Just like in The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Heather Morris’ notes at the end of the book are a must read. Highly recommend!

Thank you to St.Martins Press for a copy of this book to review! First off let me just say, I LOVED this book! Everything about it was fabulous including the cover art! Cilka’s Journey is a follow up novel to The Tattooist of Auschwitz. I read The Tattooist of Auschwitz earlier in the year (if you haven’t read it yet, go buy it now!) and was very excited to read more about Cilka! I remember reading the epilogue in The Tattooist of Auschwitz and being shocked that Cilka was sent to prison for 15 years. I needed to know more about the story and what happened to her. Let me say that, this book was an emotionally hard read. I felt bad for all that Cilka went through not only surviving concentration camps but then surviving the horror of the prison camps in the Soviet Union! Eventually, Cilka is able to find peace! As I mentioned above, I adored this book! Seeing Cilka survive was very inspirational! I am so happy that I read this book and I recommend it 100 percent!

Cilka’s Journey is a sequel to The Tattooist of Auschwitz (which I’ve not read yet), but thankfully, it stands on its own.
I’ve always been a fan of Holocaust and World War II fiction, so the story of Cilka—a then-16-year-old Slovakian Jew who spent 3 years in Auschwitz and lost her entire family only to end up being sentenced to 15 years in a Soviet gulag in arctic Siberia—drew me in immediately.
I thought the writing itself flowed well, and I found it easy to become immersed in the story and the characters’ motivations and emotions.
It’s a tough read, as all Holocaust-related fiction is, but ultimately, it left me with positive feelings and hope. It reminded me that ordinary humans can be extraordinarily strong, courageous, and compassionate when faced with unthinkable hardship, and it made me appreciate those survivors and resistors even more.
Cilka made some unfathomable choices in Auschwitz, but those choices are precisely what kept her alive. She spent her imprisonment in Siberia ceaselessly attempting to atone for her past, where she displayed unwavering loyalty to her loved ones and a passion for doing the right thing.
There’s been some criticism concerning historical accuracy and certain choices made by Heather Morris, but Cilka’s Journey is historical fiction loosely based on a real Holocaust survivor.
My thoughts are simple: if a fictional story introduces somebody to the horrors of the Holocaust and encourages them to learn more about it, then it’s a success. The generation of survivors is almost entirely gone, so we need these stories to educate ourselves of the dark times in our history.

“Finding a little hope in the darkness is not a weakness.”
-
Cilka is just sixteen years old when she is taken to Auschwitz, there a Commandant notices her beauty and takes her apart from the other prisoners.
She learns to survive at a young age, and when liberation day comes, she is then charged as a collaborator for sleeping with the enemy and sent to Siberia, where she experiences the horrors of the Gulags.
-
This book is part fiction and part non fiction, but it works perfectly, and it goes back and forth with Cilka’s days in Siberia and Auschwitz.
-
Cilka’s Journey it’s a powerful, brutal, devastating, emotional and beautiful story, about survival, inner strenght, friendship and love.
It’s simply captivating.
-
Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
-
“There is a better world out there. I’ve seen it. I remember it.”
-
“When she wakes from her nightmares Cilka Willingly invites the blankness back. But sometimes it will not stay.”
-
“Did I tell you about Cilka?” “No Lale, you didn’t. Who was Cilka?” “She was the bravest person I ever met. Not the bravest girl, the bravest person.”

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and the author, Ms. Heather Morris, for the opportunity to read this Advanced Readers Copy of "Cilka's Journey".

This highly anticipated new work from the author who brought us the incredible story of Lole in "The Tattooist of Auschwitz", Ms. Heather Morris now reintroduces us to "Cilka Klein", a secondary but powerful character from Lole's life in Auschwitz. This is her unbelievable story.

This feast of writing invokes an emotional connection to an inspiring young woman.

Cilka Klein, not only fought to just live during the darkest days of modern history, she had to then survive many years of horrific hardships imprisoned in Siberia.

This heartwrenching powerhouse of Historical Fiction writing is guaranteed to stay with the reader, leaving you wanting to read more.

Ms. Morris brings Cilka alive through her outstanding descriptions of life in Auschwitz and the Volusia Prison.

After surviving the horrors of Auschwitz our heroine "Cilka Klein" is not rescued from behind the death camp fence, instead, she is arrested for her "crimes against her fellow prisoners" and is sentenced to 15 years hard labour in Volusia Gulag, Siberia.

A tale of profound resilience, desire to survive, and a depth of will to live despite the dark despair that lurks with every new day. Cilka lives each day with a vision for survival, although she struggles with the nightmares of all the horrors she witnessed. She was only 18.

Having read and enjoyed the Tattooist of Auschwitz, I was thrilled to learn that readers would have the opportunity to learn more about Cilka's story. Despite the horrid life that these characters had to endure, it is history, and I am a firm believer we must learn from that in order to move forward.

Heather Morris has a way with words, as this was the second book by this author that I was not able to put down. Every spare second I had, I was picking up this book, longing to know what would happen to Cilka. I also loved the information provided at the end of the story, facts about her personal life. The author truly captured what it must have been like to live through these experiences, as I often found myself holding my breath, reading to see what was next, feeling the fear of this young lady. I highly recommend this book and author.

I was provided with a free advance copy of the book by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and opinion.

Wow! This novel was the perfect follow up to The Tattooist of Auschwitz. As difficult as it was to read at times, I thought the novel did an excellent job in providing insight to Clika's journey, which I yearned for when reading the first book. The writing was absolutely beautiful, and as always I enjoyed the post-novel notes from the author. This is a must read!