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tarahmanning's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The author's note gives us a sneak peek into the making of this masterpiece - a beautiful patchwork quilt of stories woven from various sources. Heather Morris spoke to people who knew Cilka, read diaries and journals of people who were in Vorkuta gulag in Siberia at the same time she was, and even studied photographs to capture the essence of that time.
Heather Morris is a magician, weaving stories that let us experience the hardships that these people faced, the inhumane conditions they lived in, and how they persevered through it all. Cilka's story is a testament to the human spirit, her unselfishness, and her passion for helping others, even when she had nothing to give.
Moderate: Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Violence, Genocide, Rape, and Emotional abuse
bookshelfhannah's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Antisemitism, Blood, Death of parent, Genocide, Grief, Rape, Hate crime, Medical content, Racism, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Medical trauma, Murder, Sexual assault, Torture, Death, and Deportation
tinytrashqueen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Torture, Suicide attempt, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Grief, Gore, Antisemitism, Child abuse, Confinement, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Death, Medical trauma, Blood, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Kidnapping, Infertility, Hate crime, Genocide, Forced institutionalization, Child death, Medical content, Body horror, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, Police brutality, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, and Rape
bookish_bobbie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Rape, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Sexual assault, and War
Moderate: Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Death
Minor: Addiction, Antisemitism, Confinement, and Miscarriage
readingwithbec's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Rape, Death, Emotional abuse, and Sexual assault
bandysbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Cilka's Journey was brutal, more brutal than The Tattooist of Auschwitz if you can believe it. While the Tattooist centers on love and keeping hope alive, Cilka's Journey is more about the absolute depths humans will go to to survive atrocities. It is not at all an easy read, particularly as a woman, but understanding this type of history is necessary.
Possible Spoiler for The Tattooist & Cilka's Journey
Cilka is the victim of extreme sexual abuse and repeated rapes. In Auschwitz, she uses her beauty and wits to form a relationship with two high-ranking Nazis in the camps. She is derided by other prisoners for sleeping with the enemy, but in reality her choice is to be passed around and raped by all of the guards or to allow one or two of them to think she has a special relationship with them....and only have to tolerate one person raping her in trade for her safety and occasional favors for friends. She survives Auschwitz, but then is accused by the Russians of being a whore for the Nazis. She is then transported to a Russian Gulag in Siberia where she is to be punished. Again, she is faced with the choice of being raped by many guards, likely in violent manners or to accept rape by a single guard if she can form a relationship with him. She chooses the later and tricks a guard into falling in love with her. In all of these instances, it is clearly horrific for her, but the choice is black and white....accept violent gang rapes by whatever guard wants to have her or form a relationship with a single evil person and tolerate rape by him to ensure protection for oneself and ones friends. In looking into the historical person named Cilka, there were prisoner accounts that were quite mixed. Many people hated her for what they perceive as the choices she made, but many more talked about how she used her power over the Nazis and Russian guards to get extra food, medicine, and favorable treatment for some of the other prisoners. No one can be judged for the decisions that they have to make in these extraordinarily horrific circumstances and though you may think you'd never willingly sleep with an enemy, victims of rape who protect themselves in this way should not be judged. What Cilka survived is remarkable.
After finishing this book, I felt so many emotions that I don't know if I can adequately survive them. I never considered that there could be a worse thing than surviving a Nazi concentration camp...but this story makes it clear that the end of the Nazis wasn't a neat and tidy end for all of their victims. As with most historical fiction, I learned a bit more about a subject that I thought I was fairly well-versed in.
All in all, this story is one of the hardest I've had to read, but it's also necessary. Sexual violence is unfortunately used over and over again as a tool of war. We must not keep silent about it. We must fight back against it and share these stories of brave, tough women who make it through.
Graphic: Torture, Racial slurs, Rape, Child death, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Grief, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Antisemitism, Child abuse, Death, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, and War
Extra Important: I've included every single trigger warning for sexual violence that is possible. Please, take them seriously. This book touches on a lot of horrific things, but is especially heavy on rape and sexual violence. If it is in anyway triggering for you, know that violent rape is actually portrayed on page.kelsie_mh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Xenophobia, Torture, Death, Murder, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, and Rape
leah_152's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Antisemitism
edinaakerekes's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
Moderate: Rape, War, Torture, Sexual harassment, Grief, Death of parent, Antisemitism, Vomit, Misogyny, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Child abuse
tdowner's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Cilka's Journery, like The Tatooist, are fictional but based on real people and real events. Cilka was a survivor of Auschwitz-Berkenau, and was imprisoned in Siberia. Some of the people she met in the book are real, some are compilations of people and some are fictional. Likewise, the specific events are a mix of fact and extrapolation. In the Afterword, Morris explains where she filled in missing details. Her books are the result of personal interviews and research, and are a well written mix.
Moderate: Antisemitism, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Rape