Although I’ve read many books about the Holocaust, I had never read or heard about the Russian practice of liberating survivors from concentration camps and then sending some of them to Siberian labor camps. This is a story of a 19 year old girl who was forced by the SS to do unthinkable things during her three years in concentration camps in order to survive, and then was punished for it by the Russians. Cilka’s Journey is a story of her life during her years in Nazi Germany and Siberia. Although this was a sad story, I couldn’t put the book down, as I learned so much about this time in history.

Admittedly this is a very hard book to read however it was brilliantly written by Heather Morris who gave lots of information about her research for the telling of this heartbreaking, dark, intense story. The character of Cilka and her background was so real you could just imagine the terror she went through being a prisoner in the Auschwitz concentration camp, forced to be a prostitute then sentenced to Siberia for being a spy and traitor by the Russians. What she does to survive is told in excruciating detail in alternating chapters of previous history. This was such an emotional story told with incredible compassion and truth of this horrible time during and after WWII.

The authors book, Tattooist of Auschwitz, was an awesome read, so when I saw an ARC of her sequel to it on NetGalley, I requested it. This book continues the story of Cilka, first introduced in Tattooist of Auschwitz, and uses flashbacks to the first book throughout. Cilka Klein is just sixteen years old when she is taken to Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp, in 1942. The Commandant at Birkenau, Schwarzhuber, notices her long beautiful hair, and forces her separation from the other women prisoners. Cilka learns quickly that power, even unwillingly given, equals survival. After liberation, Cilka is charged as a collaborator for sleeping with the enemy and sent to Siberia. But what choice did she have? In a Siberian prison camp, Cilka faces challenges both new and horribly familiar, including the unwanted attention of the guards. But when she makes an impression on a woman doctor, Cilka is taken under her wing. Cilka begins to tend to the ill in the camp, struggling to care for them under brutal conditions. Cilka finds endless resources within herself as she daily confronts death and faces terror. And when she nurses a man called Alexandr, Cilka finds that despite everything that has happened to her, there is room in her heart for love.

This story, as the first one, is based on the life of a real person as was Tattooist of Auschwitz.

Way up in the Arctic Circle there is a Siberian gulag that goes by the name of Vorkuta Gulag. This was the home of Cilka Klein for 10 long miserable years of her life. Not by choice but as a prisoner of the Soviet Russians at the end of World War ll. We know Cilka from the novel The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris, which chronicled the love story of Lale Sokolov and his wife Gita. All three were prisoners at Auschwitz-Birkenau during the Nazi's reign of terror. In this sequel, Cilka's Journey, we follow Cilka as she is unfairly punished yet again for crimes that were nothing but trumped up charges that sent her off to a grueling and inhumane work camp, better known as a concentration camp.

As with TToA, Cilka was a real person but the book is loosely based on her life with many liberties taken to create a fictionalized account. A few stories from the lives of others were woven into the story as well as inspirations from the imagination of the author. From what I could tell, Cilka's Journey contains much more fiction than the previous book, in part, because Morris was able to actually meet and compare notes with the real Lale Sokolov whereas the same opportunities were not available for Cilka's story. With that said, Morris did extensive research as to what life was like at Vorkuta for those who spent time there, from the prisoners to the trusties and also some of the employees. Many of the various physical living conditions were laced into the story detailing what everyday life was like as well as how the social groupings created a network of caste systems, often utilizing fear for their own survival tactics.

Cilka, a Slovakian Jew, arrives at Vorkuta straight out of Auschwitz-Birkenau and is housed with 19 other women she must share a cold, flimsy hut with. The others are there for a variety or perceived crimes against the Russian government but Cilka is the only one with previous concentration camp experience. She fears the others will hold this against her, especially regarding what she had to do in order not to be killed, so she tries her best to keep that information to herself. As the ladies do their best to survive from day to day, we get to know a few of the characters whom Cilka develops bonds with. Then there are the "husbands" who often come and visit them. In other words, men who have the run of the place and rape them. This creates its own strange psychological environment amongst the group.

During the day, all of the prisoners must work outside in harsh conditions with little protection. One of the jobs the women are forced to do is to transfer heavy buckets of coal from place to place. Early on, after Josie, a woman Cilka has befriended, has an accident, Cilka manages to obtain a job working in the gulag's hospital. Not only is this job less labor intensive but it provides Cilka with more warmth and food. She takes to this job rather well and it leads to a new passion for Cilka as well as sets the tone for one of the central paths in the story. It also presents different dynamics for Cilka in regards to her relationship with the other ladies in the hut. She knows this and is very cautious for fear of retaliation because she is aware of the jealousy that some of the others might hold against her. Cilka is proactive and makes sure she uses it to their advantage just as much as her own by smuggling food and other items to help make life a little easier for her hut mates.

Ten years slowly go by and Cilka gradually works her way around the grounds learning who she can trust and who she needs to avoid and what she must do just to get by. She also learns much more about nursing and broadens her range within the hospital. Throughout Cilka's Journey, we feel her anguish, her fears, her struggles and even her joys as we get to know what life was like in that faraway land where life is taken one difficult day at a time.

This is a book that I very much liked but have one little issue with. I've always had a problem with books and movies that tend to make the protagonist the constant hero, saint, savior, most loved, and the best at everything. It always comes off like a high school story in Fantasyland. While I knew going into the book that it is Historical Fiction, I wanted to believe everything along the way, yet I couldn't help but not buy into some of what was being presented because of the extreme idealization of the character. This is the one area where I feel that the story manages to make Cilka's story less real and I did not want to think that any of the real parts were not true to life. Because it was based on a real woman's journey into Hell and back, I wanted to know exactly which parts were true and what was enhanced for the sake of a coherent story. In some ways, this was somewhat of a fairy tale; albeit, one that included lots of pain and suffering along the way. Never the less, it was well worth reading.

As a sequel to The Tattooist of Auschwitz, there are several references in the book that provide a much richer story for those who have read the previous book. One can still read Cilka's Journey and appreciate it for what it has to offer but I would very much suggest that one do what I did by getting a copy of the first book before you take your journey with Cilka. Not only will you read about how Nazi concentration camps compare to the Russian gulags but you will have a much better understanding of where Cilka came from and what her mindset was like once she arrives at her second stop along the way of her horrendous journey through her young, tortured life from one Hellhole to another.


Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of the eBook for a fair and honest review.

I enjoyed this book so much. Heather Morris is such a fantastic writer and this gripped me as quickly as “The Tattooist of Auschwitz.” Cilka’s story was both sad and moving, because she remained hopeful despite her circumstances. Her strength was so inspiring. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone. I will be reading it again, for sure.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and I can't thank them enough. I loved this book. I learned a side of WWII that I was not familiar with: the after the war prisons . Cilka was a strong, resilient, and compassionate woman. Her story is one I am glad I got to learn about. Heather Morris has a skill with historical fiction.

"I just want to live. I need to feel the pain I wake up with every morning knowing I am alive, and my family aren't. This pain is my punishment for surviving and I need to feel it, live it."
Auschwitz-Birkenau is being liberated and Cilka is ready to be free. Instead she is sent to the Russian Gulag in Siberia for sleeping with the Nazis. Sentenced to 15 years of hard labor.
I taught Holocaust for many years and heard survivors/their families speak about the horrors they saw and went through. Never knew that so many were imprisoned again after the camps were liberated. Something that is obviously not talked about.
Cilka Klein you will never be forgotten! She risked her life, courage, strength and even found love under brutal, devastating conditions.
This book is a MUST read!! I now need to read The Tattooist Of Auschwitz.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press/Publishing and Heather Morris for allowing me the opportunity to read this phenomenal book! One I will never forget.

Heather Morris again captures the horrors and real events of the Holocaust and Gulag survivors. From detailed research, she meticulously crafts a story of survival in the most inhuman conditions too horrendous to be fictional.
If you were fascinated by the Tattooist of Auschwitz , you will be captured and swept along in Cilka’s Journey of overcoming and allowing the survival instinct to propel Cilka to life’s riches.

I received a pre -published net galley copy for my review.

An incredible and heart wrenching book about Cilca's survival not once but twice in awful conditions whilst suffering horrendous atrocities. This book is based on facts and memorials of other Aushcwitz survivors. I enjoyed this book just as much and if not more than 'The Tattooist of Aushcwitz ' also by Heather Morris. Extremely well written and I just couldn't put it down. Both of these books will send you on a suspense filled roller coaster ride of emotions. I was also very pleased to see that there was also further detail on Cilca' s history before Aushcwitz at the end. Started this book yesterday and finished today and really hoping to hear more from this author. 5/5 and would give more of I could. Highly recommend this fab book.

I was never a big historical fiction reader, nor did I read the Tattooist of Auschwitz. However, after this book, I will be.

Heather Morris did a outstanding job with this story and her telling of Cilka'a journey to self forgiveness is beautiful and heart wrenching all at the same time.

Cilka was sent to Aushwitz when she was 16 and realized she had two choices, she could die or choice to survive by doing what she was told.

The War is over and Cilka was accused of working with the enemy and being a prostitute and even a spy. She is sentenced to 15 years hard labor at Vorkuta Gulag.

While there, she finally finds women who she connects with. Who she respects and who she is terrified of losing if they find out the truth about her and why she was sent there. I am still speechless by Cilka. While I'm sure she wasn't perfect, she was as good as they come. However, she was tearing herself up inside about her experiences at Aushwitz and believed that everyone would label her as a whore if they found out about her experiences.

This is just an amazing book and it needs to be on everyone's list for the fall!
Thank you so much to St. Martins Publishing and Heather Morris along with Bookish First and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this beautiful book.

I received an advance reading copy of this book from NetGalley in return for a fair review. This was the second novel that followed 'The Tatooist of Auschwitz'. Cilka Klein (a minor character in the first book) was just a 16 year old girl when the Nazis put her in the concentration camp at Auschwitz. She spent three horrific years there and did what she had to do in order to survive. This meant sleeping with the enemy in return for food and other necessities. When the Russian soldiers liberated the prisoners, they deemed Cilka a conspirator and sentenced her to fifteen years of hard labor at a prison in Siberia. Although, I wasn't a fan of the author's writing style, the book was a page turner. It was hard to believe that this young girl went through such hardships. Cilka's spirit was never broken and she did her best to care for the prisoners as a nurse and confidant. I believe she spent over ten years in Siberia and was only released when Kruschev allowed the release of many of the political prisoners. I recommend reading the books in order, but you don't have to. Cilka's story is one of hope and the unbreakable human spirit when all is lost.

I was lucky enough to be given this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review. And it is amazing. It follows Cilka Klein as she goes from Auchwitz to Vorkyta Gulags in Siberia where she continues to endure hardships that one can only begin to fathom. Her resilience, bravery, and incredible will to live is demonstrated time and time again throughout this story. It’s a story that will anger you, crush you, and bring you to tears. Highly recommend so much- so well written and pays respected homage to the real Cilka Klein.

Heartbreaking story of an awful era in human history. Amazing what the mind and spirit can endure. This is a follow up to the Tattooist of Auschwitz.
Heart wrenching yet the story must never, ever be forgotten. Cilka will never be forgotten thanks to this fabulous author.
Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it.

This is a stirring tribute to a valiant survivor of Auschwitz and the Soviet Gulag. Cilka was inspired by a young woman who survived her sexual abuse in Auschwitz, but was considered a collaborator and sentenced to a long term in a frightening, brutal prison in the Siberian Gulag. It is certainly a novel that will be treasured by those who enjoyed “The Tattooist of Auschwitz”.

It is not easy to read, because of the constant brutality coupled with the extraordinary skill of the author who brings each scene to life. Yet, she persisted and she survived. Cilka was able to withstand the brutality because of her determination to stay alive and her mentoring by the prison doctor. It was she who recognized Cilka ‘s extraordinary intelligence and ability and trained her to work in the hospital as a nurse.

Cilka’s courage and humanity are rewarded by her ability to stay alive and keep the people she loved safe.
I certainly recommend this to any group involved in Holocaust studies, or that of the Gulags of the Soviet Union. I know this will be a book club favorite as soon as it is released. It is beautifully written, combining Cilka’s experience in Auschwitz and in prison.

I thank Netgalley for giving me this moving experience.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the advanced reader copy! Copy provided in exchange for an honest review. Heather Morris has a way of writing about tragedy that draws the reader in and protects them, while still being true to the gruesome reality her characters find themselves in. An important follow up to The Tattooist of Auschwitz and hopefully will be on summer reading lists for young people for years to come. Read with caution if abuse/rape is a sensitive topic for you!

Oh, my dear Cilka. Three years in Auschwitz where, as a young and pretty 16-year-old woman, you are subjected to the sexual advances of the higher-ranking Nazis. And, then, when the war is over and the camp is liberated by the Russians, you are accused of collaboration and sentenced to 15 years in Vorkuta Gulag, a labor camp in the coldest place on Earth. Siberia, 160km North of the Arctic Circle. To have endured what you had to endure at Auschwitz, and then to be punished for it! How can you go on?

For her, the answer is simple. She will live! She will not give in! She will be good in the midst of bad, the likes of which the world has never known. When offered a job out of the excruciating cold, she asks if her friend could have the job instead. She plots and schemes to find a way to get a friend and her baby out of the camp and free. She brings extra food from the hospital for the women in her "hut", even the ones who are difficult and who treat her badly. And when the day comes that Cilka, herself, can walk away from all this horror, she wonders if there isn't someone more deserving.

An endearing life in the midst of the worst possible circumstances. Read it! And then never forget.

I read this EARC courtesy of Net Galley and St. Martin's Press, pub date 10/01/19

When Cilka is transferred from a concentration camp to a Siberian work camp, she is only 16 years old and has already went through things that any person would struggle to deal with. She is assigned to a hut and builds a family from the women that she is surrounded by. She feels like she must hide her past from these women since she was kept by the enemy at her past camp and feels that they will hate her because of it. Despite all odds being against her, she is able to rise up with the help of a Dr that she becomes close to and learns to provide nursing care for many different populations and facets. She is initially trained on the ward and then moves onto obstetrics, surgery, and running the ambulance. The sheer strength of Cilka is astounding and I love that this is based on a true story.

Beautiful, heartbreaking, all of the emotions one could feel while reading a superb novel, I felt them. I am so glad the author decided to write a follow up to the Tattoist for her readers to enjoy. This book definitely lived up to her previous one. The things this young girl had to endure and experience really will make you open up your eyes to all the blessins we have in this world today. I encourage everyone to read this book!

Thank you to netgalley.com for the opportunity to read the book before publication. We first met Cilka in The Tatooist of Auschwitz. While you can certainly read this book as a stand alone, I highly recommend reading The Tatooist of Auschwitz first.

Auschwitz-Birkenau has been liberated by the Russians, but not all prisoners are free. Any prisoner convicted of consorting with the Nazis is sent to a gulag in Russia. Cilka managed to stay alive in Auschwitz and she pays dearly for it. Sentenced to 15 years of hard labor in a Russian prisoner camp her nightmare continues. Keep in mind that Cilka is Jewish And has lost her family at the hands of the Nazis.

Life, if you can call it that, in the Russian prison is hard and dangerous. Women are raped by other prisoners regularly and judged by their female counterparts who are also prisoners, often for crimes as insignificant as stealing a loaf of bread. Cilka is assigned to work in the hospital where conditions are somewhat better and certainly better than the mines.

Regardless of her own situation Cilka remains a kind and compassionate young woman who befriends and assists other prisoners both in the hospital and in the hut to which she is assigned. She lives with the guilt of surviving Auschwitz and the loss of her family in the concentration camps. She does not trust anyone in the camp to share her story with although one doctor suspects where she was transported from and what she has undergone and does everything she can to gain Cilka’s trust.

I had no idea that when the Russians liberated the concentration camps they could and would subject the Jews and other prisoners to a fresh new hell. Cilka’s Journey is beautifully written. You can feel her despair, resolve and sadness. It is brought to its end almost perfectly. Be sure to read the epilogue.

Cilka’s Journey was devastating, heartbreaking and hopeful all at once. Just to imagine that someone that suffered so much at such a young age and was then imprisoned for surviving is just beyond awful. I’m so glad Heather Morris wrote the follow up to The Tattooist of Auschwitz so we could know what happened to Cilka. Her story, like so many others deserved to be heard and known. The story was well-written with occasional flashbacks to the concentration camp from her current time in the prison camp. I couldn’t stop reading because I needed to know how it ended.