I'm probably one of a few people who haven't read the authors previous book, The Tattooist of Auschwitz--but I fully intend to. This is the 2nd book by this author and is very eye opening. I can't even imagine what it was like to be at Auschwitz and to experience life there. Powerful read! Thank you NetGalley for an e-arc.

This is a tough, tough review for me to write. I wanted this to be a 5 star book that spoke to me in 8 languages and changed my life forever. Simply because of the subject matter, and the fact that although it was fiction, it was based on a true story. An actual soul live the vicious life I read about. And that matters. It truly does. There was just something about it (and I can't pinpoint the cause) that fell a bit flat for me, and keeps me from giving it a full five stars. Don't get me wrong; this was an amazing book, well-written, with ugly circumstances translated into a beautiful book. I guess I just expected it to affect me more. And maybe that's a personal flaw.

I was nervous about reading this; based on the blurb I was afraid it would be a mess of graphic descriptions of the horrors that Cilka endured. But I was grateful to see that these passages were mostly handled with grace and compassion, without unnecessary detail. She was a remarkable character, a strong, courageous survivor.

I truly do recommend this book, and feel grateful for having read it.

Cilka’s Journey by Heather Morris, 352 pages.
St. Martin’s Press, 2019. $20.
Language: R (14 swears, 23 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
Auschwitz should have been the worst of it. Cilka should be grateful that time is behind her. But moving from one hell to another isn’t much cause to celebrate. Now in a Siberian labor camp, Cilka has to face the same choice she lives with the shame of making in Auschwitz: will she fight to live or let herself die?
I hate to say that this book was beautiful and I love it because of the true cruelty of things that were done during and after WWII, but I don’t know what else to say. Morris made the tragedy and harsh realities beautiful as she shared truth and fiction of what did and could have happened in Cilka’s suffering through back-to-back injustices. Reading and knowing that the challenges faced by Cilka and those around her were real situations faced by real people made their story both harder and more necessary to read. This is a story of strength, endurance, and love. This book is only marked “optional” because of the frequent use of the f-word, otherwise I would have marked it “advisable.” The mature content rating is for frequent mentions of rape; the violence rating is for gore from fights, mining accidents, and work in a hospital.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

We finally find out what happened to Cilka, the woman who saved Lales life.
When 16 year old Cilka is taken to Auschwitz-Birkenau she knows she will have to do whatever she can to stay alive.
Not ever thinking that the torturous decisions, those she was forced to make, and those made for her, would be held against her.

When the concentration camp is liberated Cilkas nightmare is not over instead a new one is just beginning, charged with "sleeping with the enemy" Cilka is taken to a labor camp in Siberia.

Unfortunately Cilka knows this terrain, but with this knowledge she navigates through this new hell while being the rock and savior to even more people.

A harrowing story of one womans fight for justice and freedom.

This book was amazing.
So sad, yet to inspirational. I am so happy that Heather Morris wrote Cilkas story and that I had the opportunity to read it.

Based on the incredible true story of Cilka Klein, Cilka’s Journey is the sequel to The Tattooist Of Auschwitz. Although touted as a sequel, it can easily be read as a stand alone. Cilka’s story is one of bravery in the most horrifying of all situations. After spending years in the camps of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the camp is finally liberated in 1945, but Cilka is not freed, but instead is sentenced to 15 years of hard labor in Siberia for sleeping with the enemy. Cilka is not proud of her past life in the camps, but faced with impossible choices she did what was needed to survive. In Siberia she faces many more horrific events, but once again she chooses life. A beautiful story of compassion, friendship and most of all hope.

I absolutely loved this book! What an incredible story of the courage and selflessness that Cilka had throughout her young adult life. I found Cilka to be an extremely endearing and incredibly strong win character who I was always rooting for. I found her journey through the medical field to be so interesting to read about. It seemed as if her path being a nurse healed not only her patients, but herself as well.

Cilka’s Journey is a moving story about the perseverance, inner strength, and humanity. 4 stars!

This is the sort of novel based on a true story about actual historical figures that would cause a reader to think the author had created a tale so awful in its depiction of inhumanity that it would seem too far-fetched for straight fiction. It's astonishing to be confronted with the knowledge that so many unfortunate souls had to endure the most heartbreaking violence and unparalleled cruelty associated with the Holocaust and Siberian gulags in the 20th century. Knowing that there are still a few among the living who were eyewitnesses to such atrocities is an eye-opening reminder that we are not at all far-removed from such a terrible contemporary tragedy.

That said, Cilka's Journey is an engaging and moving story of a doubly-cursed young Jewish woman who survives three years in a WWII German concentration camp and is liberated at the end of the war only to be convicted of war crimes by the Soviets and sentenced to fifteen years in a Siberian prison camp. Cilka, the main character, is a survivor of the most determined sort, and her remarkable ability to adapt, learn, grow, and stay alive amidst astonishing misfortune and adversarial conditions is a gripping tale.

In Cilka's Journey, we have been given a heroine of the most inspirational sort. Her intelligence, fortitude, strength of will, and indomitable character encourage a reader to want to know more about the real-life woman who inspired this story. It's an unbelievably powerful tale of resilience.

Can there be more stories like this told to the world?

Cilka's Journey is a factual retelling of the life events of an Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp survivor who is accused of sleeping with the enemy and shipped off to other camps as punishment. Young Cilka lands in Siberia where she befriends other women, learns to survive against all odds, finds true love, and maintains hope that there will be better days ahead.

Cilka’s story follows Heather Morris’ bestseller, The Tattooist of Auschwitz, where Cilka appears in a heroic role as well. Much like in Tattooist, Morris does well to provide factual information based on first-hand accounts while weaving a story of generosity, faith, and perseverance. It reads like fiction but is saturated in facts. There are not enough stories told in this genre that shed light on the strength of the female character when pushed to the limit. The characters jump to life. The events of history are told with great respect.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This novel will be published on October 1, 2019.

Cilka’s Journey is the newest book by Heather Morris, author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz. I haven’t read The Tattooist yet (it’s sitting on my nightstand), and while there are references throughout Cilka’s Journey to her time at Auschwitz, I didn’t feel like I was missing anything because I hadn’t read the earlier book yet.

To me, this story is all about doing the things we have to do in order to survive and finding humanity in a completely inhumane environment and situation.

Cilka quickly won my heart and had me crying and hoping as I read about her experiences and relationships, her hardships and setbacks. To have gone through Auschwitz, and survived, only to be sent to a work camp in Siberia is unfathomable. And yet it really happened.

Cilka’s Journey comes out on October 1st and is definitely worth a read!

I did not read The Tattooist of Auschwitz, even though this is book two. I read this as a standalone and this is a story that begs to be read. Even though it’s a horrible time in history .
Cilka is a strong, complex, courageous character who confronts terror and death everyday bit finds strength to preserve .
An emotional and a must read !

I was lucky enough to receive an eARC of this novel from Netgalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.  When I requested this book I did not realize that it was supposed to accompany The Tattooist of Auschwitz, nor that there would be recurring characters.  It has long been on my TBR, but I had yet to buy it.  (I ran to get a used copy days after finishing Cilka's Journey, because I NEED this in my life).  That said, please understand that this review is written with no knowledge of the previous book and solely on the merits of a stand alone novel.

The premise caught my attention immediately, and was what prompted me to request this book.  I was drawn to the idea of a young woman- a child still, really- taken into a concentration camp.  The idea of what she would have seen, and what she would have had to endure to survive, only to be then thrown into a prison camp for it.  While some of it was pretty glossed over, I still got a good feel for her hurt, her terror, and her pain.  I am reading a lot of reviews that say that they couldn't really get a "feel" for the place- the freezing cold and unlivable conditions.... I have to say I didn't have that issue at all.  I was pulled straight to the camp in Siberia.  I felt for the women there, Cilka's co-prisoners.... at times more than I felt for Cilka.  I saw them through her loving eyes.

Cilka herself was a hard sell for me.  Oh, I loved her, and worried over her.... I wanted her to be free; at the same time her very nature made it easier to concentrate on others.  She was this angelic, completely selfless woman, always asking for aid for a friend instead of herself once she gets to Siberia.  The things that she did to survive Auschwitz weighs on her, as do the things that she must still do, and yet she worries over every single thing she is offered that others don't have and will take, say, a special job, only to help the women in her hut.  Is anyone ever really this pure, especially after everything she endured?  I feel like I need to see this character from another's point of view in order to fully see her.  It was easier to care for the doctors, For Josie, oddly even for Boris.

Many reviewers have spoken about the woman that Cilka is fashioned after- you see, a Cecilia Klein did exist.  There are those saying that this is not an accurate portrayal of the woman, though.  I haven't done the research (though I should) and refuse to weigh in except to say that this is fiction.  Historical fiction takes liberties- I firmly believe that the places... the things the prisoners deal with... are accurate; but could Morris have taken liberties with the actual characters? Of course.  I don't mind that, personally, but it's something to think about if you are a stickler for complete accuracy.

As for myself, I just wanted a good story that would bring this timeline to life for me.  Cilka's Journey did that.  The story was well written, and the writing had a good flow to it.    It was easy to follow through the present scenes and Cilka's memories, and the transition was never jarring.  I loved the characters, and the little details that helped me feel more connected to the camp.  For me, this was a five star book.  Honestly, I could not put it down, and I can't wait to read her others.

On the adult content scale, this one is definitely geared toward adults.  There's language, violence- both physical and sexual, and abuse.  Even though the sexual encounters aren't the most explicit, I felt like they were really powerful.  It hurt me, what these women endured.... I have to give this book an eight.

Having read Heather Morris' previous novel about Auschwitz, I had an idea of the style of story I could expect with 'Cilka's Journey' and I did enjoy (if you can use that term for such a topic) this novel very much.
I must say I actually enjoyed this novel more than its predecessor - it is presented to us as one woman's struggle through unimaginable atrocities, which is as faithful to her life as records will allow while also interweaving elements from other peoples histories of the time. The novel is not trying to be a difinitive account of life at that time, but rather it is self aware of what t is trying to do - bring the stories of these forgotten people to amass audience - and I commend Morris for that.
Harrowing at times, the novel tries to keep the resilient spirit of Cilka alive and I feel presents her as a worthy subject for us all to know.

How wonderful to know more about Cilka. The many fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz will be thrilled to pick up where they left off. So glad this amazing story is being told.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced review copy of Cilka's Journey! I was looking forward to learning more about Cilka, as she was a minor character in The Tattooist of Auschwitz, but her story seemed intriguing.

What I loved about this book was the focus on strong women and learning about Gulags in Siberia. I had heard a lot of German concentration camps, but not much about Stalin's camps. Cilka was a powerful character, and her relationships with her fellow prisoners were warm and familial. They really seemed to take care of one another, and risked a lot to keep others safe. I also enjoyed the flashbacks to Cilka's life pre-camp and hearing about her family.

I had the same issue with Cilka's Journey that I did with The Tattooist; it lacked emotion. There was a lot of telling of what happened and stilted dialogue - it seemed matter of fact, rather than emotionally driven. The flashbacks between Auschwitz and Vorkuta were a bit confusing at times. Also, I think Cilka's portrayal of selflessness was a little over the top - I couldn't imagine someone in her situation making some of the decisions she did. She seemed to have many opportunities for freedom or an easier life, but didn't take them because her bunkmates were not offered the same. Yet, she struggled with the idea of being faced with her 15 year sentence the chapter before, so why would she pass up any of these opportunities? Also, similar to The Tattooist, the ending wrapped up a little too cleanly.

I absolutely loved the Afterword by Owen Matthews. I got a much richer sense of the appalling conditions at Vorkuta, and the political climate - more so than the entire book!

I don't know how I could love this book any more. I adore this author, I loved her writing style, and I love the amount of research that went into this book. I am so happy to have the opportunity to hear Cilka's story. We met her in the "Tattooist of Auschwitz" (which if you haven't read, go and do it now!), and that glimpse of her was one to spark this continued journey. I never knew that some of those released from that awful concentration camp were then sent on by the Russians to work camps. How awful to survive one camp, only to be sent on to another. Thank you, Heather Morris, for opening my eyes to yet another part of our world's history that absolutely needed to be told. While tragic, I loved watching Cilka overcome yet another huge trial in her life and the ending made it all worth it. It shows that no matter what hard things we are asked to endure, we can find the strength to overcome and even come out on top in the end.

Thank you, NetGalley for an ARC of this book for me to read and fully enjoy!

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.