I didn’t read The Tattooist of Auschwitz, so I was not familiar with this author but I must say I am impressed. The hours of research and details she put into her work are very evident and makes the story come alive. Cilka’s Journey was a riveting glimpse into the further horrors that many survivors of the concentrations camps had to endure, which I didn’t know about. I can only imagine if Mrs. Morris interviewed the real Cilka what a further journey could have told. I think anything dealing with this subject matter tends to either hook people with fascination or turn them off, I would say to anyone not wanting to read this book because of the subject, to read it. It is so much more than talking about the atrocities of the Nazi’s and the Russian’s, it is about hope, friendships, and one girl’s strength of mind and character.
For me, while I liked reading the story and thought it really well done, I did not care for the authors writing style. The flashbacks while necessary seemed disjointed and needed a bit more. But then, the author is trying to place you in Cilka’s mind and into her disjointed and scattered thoughts. Spoiler- After reading the authors notes at the end, I was actually a little let down that this was a fictional story interwoven with real facts. Yes, the author went so far as to visit the real Cilka’s hometown, interviewed those who knew her, and found as much as she possibly could about her. But then it left me wondering if the real Cilka could have gotten away with training up as a nurse and being allowed such freedoms as was written when no one (other prisoners) else did.
Overall however, I really enjoyed the book and the glimpse into history and I applaud the author for all her research and for writing about such a tough subject and not letting it be forgotten. Highly recommend.

Cilka's Journey is a remarkable work of historical fiction that follows Cilka Klein and her life after Auschwitz-Birkenau to the Vorkuta Gulag. The story mostly takes place in Vorkuta, with flashback scenes to her life in Auschwitz and what she had to do in order to survive, and her life before, as a young girl.

I loved this book from beginning to end. The story is woven together magnificently and the reader really gets a feel of who Cilka was and the horrendous things she had to deal with. She is a fighter, and it shows throughout the book. I enjoyed The Tattooist of Auschwitz, but I think this book was even better. One of my top reads for 2019 so far.

#Cilka’sJourney #NetGalley
The author of Cilka’s Journey, Heather Morris, takes memories from Auschwitz-Birkenau survivors and creates Cilka. There actually was a Jewish woman named Cecilia Kline.
It’s August 1945 and a young woman is finally freed after three years from the horrors and atrocities of the concentration camp. Part of her time there she was forced into prostitution with German officers. But now the Russians take over, declare her a traitor, and sentence her to fifteen years of hard labor in Siberia.
Through flashbacks, we learn about her early happy years.
This is a hard read as Cilka suffers from inhuman treatment. She and her hut mates have little heat, a bucket to use as a toilet and barely enough food to survive, usually a thin broth and a piece of hard bread. During the day they are sent to the coal mines to fill pails with coal.
Cilka eventually gets a job in the hospital and is able to smuggle food left over by the patients to her group of women. This is a story of determination and bravery to try to live out her sentence. Again, she is forced to have sex, now by the Russians.
Can she endure and someday get to live a normal life?
Heather Morris, author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, has written another incredible powerful book.
Read it and “Never Forget”. These horrors in Germany and Russia were real even if the characters were not.

I appreciate receiving an advance copy of Heather Morris's new novel, Cilka's Journey, courtesy of NetGalley, and highly recommend it for readers of WWII Holocaust fiction. This gut wrenching and harrowing story, well researched and based on actual prisoners, was so compelling and we'll written that I couldn't put it down. This was my first introduction to the horrors of post war Russian Siberian labor camps. I remain amazed at the strength and spirit of the survivors, so well portrayed in this book. The relationship to the Tattooist of Auschwitz is explained, but this novel stands alone on it's own merit.

I really liked this story about a woman and the things happening to her during the 1940’s. If you like books with a Nazi theme you will like this one. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this excellent book.

I wasn't able to get very far into this book before setting it aside. The story seemed to be moving too quickly for me to get any grasp on the characters, and so it just didn't hold my interest.

Another wonderful brilliant book by Heather Morris. What this young girl had to go through in her young life is unimaginable. These stories that has has brought us absolutely wonderful and heartbreaking at the same time you have so many emotions going through you as you read this book.

Chika's Journey is a beautiful novel written bye Heather Morris. You can tell bye her writing that the author has genuine immense feelings for Chika. This novel made me cry tears of sadness, pain, and happiness it has been a long time since a novel has made me feel such raw emotions for the characters. This is a must read for readers who enjoy reading about the lives that were changed bye Hitler and World War II. I highly recommend Chika's Journey. If I could give 20 stars I would.

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz will LOVE Cilka's Journey by Heather Morris. It tells the continuing story of Cilka, whom we first met in the Tattooist of Auschwitz. Based on the life of Cilka Klein, Morris tells the horrors she endured both in Auschwitz and a Siberian prison camp. It shows the power of human endurance, forgiveness, and love. This was a book I could not put down and found myself finishing at 2 AM. Five stars all around!!

Cilka is a young jewish girl who is sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau at the age of 16. This is the story of how she survives that ordeal and more. She is then moved to Gulag after the war having been found guilty of crimes during the war. Again, she finds she is in a position where she is able to survive, all the while living in fear of the past being disclosed.
The writing is simple and powerful. After a long time I found myself reading the book in a single sitting and crying. Not too many books can achieve that. I will recommend this book to anyone who has the heart to read about the World War and its aftermath.
Its a book which delved clearly into the horrors of the time while still carrying a flame of hope. Cilka is a strong girl, capable of taking most things in her stride. Her various relationships with the inmates around her are so well depicted for all their complexity. A story such as this does not come along often.

Beautifully written novel and a wonderful follow up to The Tattoist of Auschwitz. I recommend you read The Tattoist first, but definitely do not have to if you can't grab a copy. This book will make you cry, make you hopeful, and make you believe in the power of never giving up. LOVED, LOVED, LOVED.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I haven't read the first book yet, but this one works as a stand alone book. It is a very moving story based on a real woman who endured so much trauma and pain, but still helped others as much as possible.

Heartbreaking and riveting. Couldn't put it down. I have never read anything that focused on the imprisonment of survivors and didn't even realize this was something that happened. Cilka is a truly remarkable woman.

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.

Everyone I told about Tattooist of Auschwitz absolutely loved every page they read in the book. I am so excited to see that Heather Morris is coming out with a new book and I have to say, I did like it a lot better than Tattooist of Auschwitz. The book focuses the journey of Cilka a sixteen- year old girl who gets sent to concentration camp in Auschwitz but because of her beauty, the guards gave her special treatment and she literally "slept with the enemy" but in her mind had no choice if that was the key to survival. She later was released but went to a prison in Serbia because she was accused of being involved on the opposite side. She later meets a doctor that is so kind to her that she becomes interested in taking care of patients and finds a passion for medicine and helping out the other female inmates in the prison. This book exemplifies how far life can take you if your heart remains warm, strong, and kind. Cilka despite the circumstances she was under, still remained strong and kind and her life is fuller than ever. I know this book will do really well with our community.

We will consider adding this title to our Historical Fiction collection at the library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

Cilka was the character that left readers wondering at the conclusion of The Tattooist of Auschwitz. This novel, a fictionalized account of Cilka's life, provides the answers. Starting where the author's previous book ended, the story takes Cilka from hope to hopelessness and back again. It is a story of confronting trauma and making the choice to trust and move forward or to let the past define the future. The author uses flashbacks skillfully weaving together the present and the past, adding depth to the story and filling in gaps for those who have not read Tattooist. This book was incredibly hard to put down, I read it in one day. Highest recommendation.

Following closely on the heels of the Tattooist of Auschwitz, Cilka’s Journey, is another page turning story. Author Heather Morris has grappled with further details on the atrocities faced by Jews and dissidents beginning with the Nazis. This story follows Cilka as she does what she must to save herself and those she cares about, from brutality, often death. “It is hard to articulate the relentless bone-chilling cold, the constant flow of sick, injured and dead prisoners, the humiliation of being imprisoned there.” So Cilka says of her time in the Siberian Vorkuta Gulag, Her unwavering determination, courage and tenacity carry her forward as she faces her fate and her captors. These traits also protect her secret ,traitorous, as some would believe, past. As the main character, Cilka draws the reader in and dares them to witness all she does. This begs the question, how was she able to calm her fears upon seeing the bleeding, the injured and maimed, the severely abused, the dead? The other characters are no less damaged by what they must see and do. Each secondary character has his or her own story. The reader and Cilka find compassion for the oppressed and a justifiable loathing for the oppressors.
The settings and times of this story are only history to most of today’s readers. Yet it remains important to understand the lives behind the stories, to meet and to become a part of the story. It is impossible to read this compelling novel without being aghast at Nazi and Soviet barbarity. It is why you silently and fervently stand with Cilka and the other prisoners as if were in their shoes. A heartbreaking, but wonderful read!

I couldn’t put this down. Hard to read some things but such a wonderfully written book of Cilkas story. This is the story of Cilka that survived the concentration camp only to be sent to a prison. This author is so good at taking history and incorporating it into a book that we can’t get enough of. I highly recommend reading it. Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

Reading The Tattooist of Auschwitz was a big step for me. I don't usually read books set in WWII and especially in the concentration camps. That being said it left me wanting more stories of the prisoners who had survived the atrocities that went on in the camps. When Net Galley offered me the opportunity to read Cilka's Journey, I knew I had to do it. Cilka was only 16 when she and her sister answered the call to work for the Germans to help their family. Many young people answered this call and found themselves prisoners, barely hanging on when forced into slavery until they were of no more use to the Germans. Cilka did what she had to do to survive 3 years in Auschwitz only to be sentenced to 15 years by the Soviets for aiding the enemy. Cilka's story is one of heartbreak but also resilience. The strength so many men and women showed while fighting for their lives is amazing. If you haven't read The Tattooist of Auschwitz I highly recommend you do so and then, read Cilka's Journey.

To be completely honest: I have not yet read The Tattooist of Auschwitz, but I will be buying it in the morning, thanks to this book!

This book sucked me in from the moment I started reading it; Cilka's story is depressing but I never lost hope for her and her journey from the concentration camp she survived to the gulag of Siberia. You see a struggle for survival, resilience, pain and anguish, but you can't help but feel that she will make it through. The author gives a convincing tale of the life of a political prisoner in the Soviet bloc, without too much dramatization or frills for effect. I'm not one for books with flashbacks, but the ones in this novel are necessary for the movement and rhythm of the tale.

Seriously, don't walk, RUN, to pick up this book.

Cilka’s Journey by Heather Morris

In this story, Cilka does indeed go on a physical journey – from Auschwitz to Siberia – but the real story is about Cilka’s journey of discovering who she is and about her developing her abilities to help others even in horrible situations. At Auschwitz she managed to survive (that story is touched on in The Tattooist of Auschwitz by this same author). In Cilka’s Journey, Heather Morris shows us the real strength that it takes to survive situations that are terrifying and demoralizing. Cilka has already developed much of that strength with what she has survived at Auschwitz and we get windows into that through flashbacks. Now, though, she is in different settings. On the long train ride to Siberia, people are dying around her and she begins to physically and emotionally help some of them. When she gets to the work camp in Siberia where she has been sentenced to spend 15 years, she is put into a hut and work situation with women who are forced by the situation to rely on each other. These are women who do not know Cilka’s back story and the things she had to do in order to survive. The work most do is hard physical labor but Cilka is given an opportunity to work in the camp hospital and that is where she begins to really help others and to know that she is indeed more than her past. By placing Cilka in various parts of the hospital setting, the author is able to tell about the dangerous working conditions, the mostly horrible attitudes toward the worker/prisoners, the lacks in the medical treatment of injured workers, and the maternity/nursery setting for the women who become pregnant. Through all of the story, the author shows us how the women of Cilka’s hut deal with the imprisonment and punishments and deprivations. This story could be depressing because of the situation(s) in which Cilka has found herself. And yet I found it a really a very hopeful book as we see Cilka on her journey of discovering how to be more than just a survivor. Very early in the story, I found myself liking Cilka and wanting to keep reading to find out how she would survive because somehow I could sense she would. I was there as Cilka learns about herself. As the author says somewhat early in the book, “It is this fire, then that keeps her going. But it is also a part of her curse. It makes her stand out, be singled out. She must contain it, control it, direct it”. I was so caught in the story that I read the book in one day. The author at the end of the book says “The challenge of working with history is to find the core of what was true and the spirit of those who lived then.” Heather Morris has indeed done so with this book.