Sixteen-year-old Cilka’s arrival at Auschwitz-Birkenau was followed by three years of heartbreak, torture and loss. It was also where she lost her innocence; where she met Gita, who was to be her best friend, and Lale the tattooist who marked her, and everyone else, with the number that identified her. At the time of liberation, in 1945, Cilka was interrogated and charged as a collaborator. Her punishment was to be 15 years in the notorious Vorkuta Gulag in the icy wastes of Siberia. Cilka’s life would change once more…

The hut that the women were housed in, where Cilka eventually formed friendships, was cold and miserable. Working in the mines was debilitating, exhausting work, but when Cilka met a compassionate woman doctor at the hospital and was asked to work there as her caring nature would be an asset, Cilka was grateful. Conditions were a little better but each night she returned to her hut after being confronted with death and shocking injuries. The fortitude and strength that Cilka held inside rarely faltered, but more was to come to test her. What was to be the outcome of this horror for Cilka? Would she ever know peace?

Cilka’s Journey by Aussie author Heather Morris is the sequel to The Tattooist of Auschwitz where we met Lale as he told his story. Once again, the author has based her new story on fact, with Cilka being a real person, set in history; the settings are horribly authentic; the bravery and courage of Cilka mentioned to the author by Lale when she interviewed him. The artistry of the author as she blended fact with fiction shows a great amount of research – her mention of that research and how much time was devoted to it, is at the end of the book. Cilka’s Journey takes us back to a shocking time in history, a time I hope is never repeated. It is also a historical novel I highly recommend.

With thanks to Allen & Unwin AU and associated publishers for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

Based on the life of a real person, CILKA’S JOURNEY is intense, horrifying, and compelling. Sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp, in 1942, when she was 16, she faced unspeakable horrors as she fought for her survival. When the camp is liberated by the Russians, the horrors she endured and survived are held against her and she is sentenced to a gulag for 15 years as a conspirator. What fresh horrors await her and how can she survive more time in conditions so horrible? Cilka struggles to survive, again, while also dealing with her own guilt and shame for the part she played while in Auschwitz-Birkenau, as well as her guilt in being the only one in her family to make it out alive. While in the prison, Cilka finds her place working in the hospital, and finds friends and respect, and, finally, a bit of hope. It makes you question how any of this could have happened and marvel at the resilience of those that are subjected to such cruelty.
Heather Morris has done an amazing job researching the historical details and weaving them into an account that was compelling and heartbreaking. This is a sequel to THE TATOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ, but can be read as a stand-alone novel, which is good, since this is the first novel I have read by Morris. This is one not to miss, whether or not you have read THE TATOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ.
#CilkasJourney #StMartinsPress #HeatherMorris

Inspired by information gathered while preparing to write The Tattooist of Auschwitz: A Novel, this is the story of Cecilie Klein, a young Jewish girl who survived Auschwitz, only to be declared an enemy of Russia because of the unimaginable activities that she was forced to perform for the Germans. Sent to a gulag in Russia, she is once again forced into jobs she doesn't want and subjected to unthinkable cruelties. Relying only on her tenable spirit, she survives her imprisonment and helps countless women to also make it thru this Hell on earth.

This is a very heartrending but moving tome. It is inconceivable to me what the men and women had to endure during and after World War II. Chilka’s tenacious attitude would not let her give up even in the bleakest of situations. She persevered and because of her, countless women also lived. Even in the harshest conditions, she was selfless and brave. She was and is an inspiration to all who read her story. Although the story has you on the edge of your seat with anxious dread, I couldn’t put it down. I had to keep reading afraid that with each page, Chilka would come to a sorrowful end. I highly recommend it.

I was thrilled to receive Cilka’s Journey from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. Cilka’s Journey is the follow-up novel to one of my favorite reads of 2019, The Tattooist of Auschwitz. It does not follow the same characters, but focuses on the life of one character, Cilka. Admittedly, at the onset of Cilka’s Journey I wondered if I would enjoy this novel, because I had been so heavily invested in the protagonists from The Tattooist of Auschwitz. This story is every bit as compelling as The Tattooist. As the story progressed, I quickly understood the importance of the historical fiction depicted. Author Heather Morris illustrates the heartbreaking life of an Auschwitz survivor sentenced to fifteen years in a Gulag in Siberia. If you are looking for the happy ending after Auschwitz, this book is not that. In fact, this story is every bit as horrific as it’s predecessor. This history is one that is rarely heard, and yet it is also one that deserves to be known and understood. Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to review this advanced reader’s copy. Additionally, thank you to St. Martin’s Press for another beautiful, yet tragic read.

Have you ever read a book that shook you to your core and you knew your review would never do it justice? That's how I feel about Cilka's Journey. As I tried to imagine myself living through what Cilka did, it's unimaginable. Add in the fact this is based off of a true story and you can't help the fact you'll shed tears. Cilka's Journey is about a girl who refused to let the evil in this world break her. She held on all the compliments, love, and encouragement her family gave her in the first sixteen years of her life to survive Birkenau and then the Gulag in Vorkuta. Once she was liberated she exchanged one prison for another and survived longer than I ever could have. This book is about one girl's desire to live despite all of the obstacles in her life. She found a way to create a family of her own and to love again when she though it was no longer possible.

If you enjoy historical fiction, you should definitely pick this book up. You don't have to read The Tattooist of Auschwitz to understand what's going on, but it would give you a little more history of her time in the concentration camps. This is one I highly reccomend you read.

Thank you to the publishers for a copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and a positive review was not required.

This book did not grab me as "Tattooist" did; I was reading an arc of "Cilka" but the writing seemed choppy and juvenile. I will say that the author's note at the end was very interesting. Thanks, Netgalley, for this arc.

In a follow up to the Tattooist of Auschwitz we follow Cilkas journey as she is sent to prison for crimes she committed to survive. Cilkas story is one of bravery and resilience. Her steadfast devotion to her friends and women in her hut gives them all the best possible Chance for survival, while saving her own life. Beautifully written. Be sure to read the epilogue and authors notes.

This was not a cheery book to read. The topic, the sadness, To me was just more of the same. As well written as it was, I got tired of reading about the new ways she was treated poorly. I can't say it was a book that I enjoyed reading.

Read the prior book, The Tattooist of Auschwitz~Loved It! Knew that I had to read this and it was just as GOOD!!!

Excellent writing and character development. An overall incredible story worth sharing.

This one and the prior story are must reads.
Thanks NetGalley & St. Martins Press for the ARC of the book.

Oh what a lovely but sad journey we go on with Cilka. We first hear of her in The Tattooist of Auschwitz and this book will take us through Cilka's life once she is punished for her "crimes". I don't want to reveal too much, because honestly, at times, this book was hard to take. Not from the writing, or the characters, or the story, but how horrible and truthful this story is. To know that a time in history (and even currently) we have allowed other humans to be treated like Cilka and so many others, is beyond what humanity should be.

Cilka progresses and heals and has her life, despite these atrocious things happening to her. And she, like so many others, is able to overcome evil. As crazy as that sounds, I know you know what I mean. Like in The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Morris lets us feel everything the characters experience. The hate, the fear, the torture, but also love. And that's what really matters, right?

I'm not on a soapbox, I promise. I just loved this book, and I hope you will too.

5/5 Stars

I typically enjoy reading historical fiction and have lately "jumped on the boat" for World War II stories, so I was pretty sure I would enjoy Cilka's Journey.

Following the story told in "The Tattooist of Auschwitz", "Cilka's Journey" chronicles what happens to Cilka after Auschwitz is liberated. She is accused of being a spy for the Germans and sentenced to 15 years in a Russian work camp in Siberia. The story of what she endured is told through her eyes with several flashbacks to her time Auschwitz.

This book brought me to tears thinking about all the horrible things that Cilka and other women like her had to face. It was a very well-written story with characters that I both loved and admired for their courage and tenacity.

I loved this book! It’s just as good as Morris’s first novel and beautifully tells the story of Cilka post WWII. Highly recommend

A memorable follow-up to The Tattooist of Auschwitz. Cilka is caught in a circle of circumstances beyond her control. The book stayed with me long after the final page.

A good "sequel" to The Tattooist" featuring one of the characters from. that book. Another heart wrenching novel from Morris based on verbal accounts and other research carried out by the author. Although this book is a work of fiction the facts it is based upon make this book incredibly sad. A must read for those interested in WWII and the Stalin regime. Recommended.

Cilka’s Journey by Heather Morris is an amazing book. This is the first book I have read by this author and it will not be the last. I loved reading this book and didn’t want to put it down. Ms. Morris wrote a traumatic, sad but true story which drew me right in, making me forget the world around me and did not let me go until I turned the last page. This was a real page turner. This is a story of courage, survival and love. Even though this book is fiction it is definitely based on extensive research by the author. Morris makes you feel everything the characters are going through she shows you the pain, the brutality that these women had to endure. I did not read the Tattooist of Auschwitz but I was able to read Chilka’s Journey without any problem as a standalone. Ms. Morris is a great storyteller that keeps you interested and involved throughout the story. I highly recommend this fictional story based on real facts, in fact at the end of the book the author notes what is fact and what is fiction. This book will stay with you a long time. Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Heather Morris and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this incredible story.

Cilka's Journey is the sequel to The Tattooist of Auschwitz and a continuation of the horrific story of the evils people endured during and after the Holocaust. While this is historical fiction, the book is based on the real life of Cecília Kováčová.

Heather Morris, you have done it again!!! You have written a beautifully passionate, moving and powerful book showcasing an evil by the Nazi's and later the Soviet Union we will never understand in our lifetime and a courage and bravery by the men and woman and kids in those camps and prisons to survive. It's a story we should never forget.

I thought her first book was brilliant. Morris writes about jobs and decisions Jewish people had to do just to live to see another day. In Cilka's Journey, she alternates between three different timelines to weave Cilka's story, her journey together. We get to see a glimpse of what Cilka's life was like before she was taken to the concentration camp, her time at Birkenau and then her time at the labor camp in Siberia. Cilka was unfairly sentenced for war crimes while at the concentration camp. She was 16 years old and had no choice in the activities she was forced to do. Yet she paid the price in more than one way - from the loss of her family, to the end of her childhood and innocence to extreme survivor's guilt.

I had often heard of survivors never wanting to talk about their experiences or tell their story and never really knew why. While I understand these two books are works of fiction based on true stories, they paint a very realistic picture why that is. I had a hard enough time reading the horrible atrocities these people endured, much less be able to tell someone about it without hysterically crying. The horror, the pain. I just can't even put it into words. It makes you question humanity. These are stories we need to read and understand this happened in history. Real people endured and survived this. Real people had to make extreme sacrifices and hard decisions just to get food to eat, air to breathe and the ability to see tomorrow. Real people lost their families in the most horrific ways we could ever imagine, and many never found out what did happen to their loved ones.

It's an extraordinary story about an extraordinary woman. Cilka found strength and bravery inside her to live even when she had nothing left. While we don't know how much of this story is the true part of Cilka's real journey, I am in awe of her. War brings out the best and the worst in people. And Cilka's ability, even at 16, to continue to see good somehow inspite of being in a real life version of hell is simply inspirational.

This book, as in the first book, will have you questioning what would you have done in her shoes? But more importantly, none of us have a right to judge any of the decisions, choices or sacrifices these people were forced to make. It's a powerful and thought provoking book.

Both of her books can be read as stand alone books, but I encourage you to read them together. These are excellent choices for book clubs, and I hope someone picks up the movie rights to these. Additionally, I hope Heather Morris will continue on with this story.

My thanks to Heather Morris, St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The story this book told was an interesting one, based on the life of a real person. A young woman, forced to ‘sleep with the enemy’ at Auschwitz in order to stay alive, is charged as a collaborator at the end of the war. Now sentenced to serve time in a prison camp, Cilka must contend with her present situation as she also deals with ghosts from the past.

I’ve never read The Tattooist of Auschwitz, but I think this book seemed to stand fine on its own. The author fills us in on Cilka's experiences via flashbacks, and the transition between past and present is seamless.

However intriguing the premise, the emotion of the book fell flat for me, and I had difficulty feeling a connection with Cilka or any of the other characters. I was never really pulled into the story, the characters seemed to be lacking depth, and I didn’t shed a tear, which is unusual for me when reading a book from this time period. The friendships between the female characters especially seemed shallow, which I found disappointing, because there was great potential there, particularly between Cilka/Josie & Cilka/Yelena.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ebook in exchange for an honest review. My review will also be shared on Barnes & Nobel, Amazon and Indigo.

I was one of those readers who ‘five-starred’ the Tattooist of Auschwitz and wanted more of Cilka Klein, a real-life Holocaust survivor. Thank you Heather Morris for telling Cilka's post-Auchwitz story. Unfathomable and stunningly cruel that Cilka became a victim yet again upon release from Auchwitz, being wrongly convicted of working with the enemy as a prostitute and spy, sentenced to fifteen years hard labor in a Siberia forced labor camp. I can't stop thinking about her story of survival.

Cilka was one of the characters in The Tattooist of Auschwitz and I was interested to learn more about her. Cilka’s Journey is a powerful story that was inspired by the true to life experiences of Auschwitz-Birkenau survivor Cilka who ends up in a Siberian work camp after being charged as a collaborator for “sleeping with the enemy”. This novel is not an easy read as it confronts the issue of rape during wartime.

While this story does focus on the atrocities that happened to Cilka(and many others), it also shares the heroic efforts she was a part of. Cilka has a compassion for others that guides her through the toughest of times and this part of the story was both heartbreaking and utterly compelling. How Cilka chose to use the gifts she was given to help others was so powerful and a reminder of the beacon of light in humanity even in the most horrific of times. Highly recommend!

I really enjoyed the predecessor to this novel, “The Tatooist of Auschwitz”, so I was excited to read this book. I appreciate the research and work that Morris put into telling Celia’s story in this novel, but I did not like this one quite as much. I recognize that Morris had to incorporate some dramatic fiction into the novel to fill in gaps of Celia’s unknown story, but I felt at times this led to Celia’s story being a bit too unbelievable. Morris still has a way with words where I’d continue to read more of her works, but this one just didn’t have the same pull for me and that’s why I rate it 3 stars ✨. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this advanced copy.