Reviews

Cilka's Journey by Heather Morris

yorky_pud21's review against another edition

dark emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

mpanhani's review against another edition

5.0

I really enjoyed this book. We learn more about Cilka after first hearing about her from Lale in The Tattooist of Auschwitz. We find out out that Cilka survived Auschwitz after not fighting back. Unfortunately she was forced to let high commanders turn her into a sex slave. She was put in charge of the barracks where women would stay one last night before they were sent to their deaths. Mind you she was only 16. After being liberated, Cilka is traumatized and finds herself being sentenced to prison in a Siberian gulag for “sleeping with the enemy”. It is here where Cilka finds herself once again to be the property of another powerful prisoner, where she is raped repeatedly. However, due to her language skills and ability to learn quickly she is chosen to work in the prisoner hospital ward. Cilka’s doesn’t forget her past, she can’t, but she constantly fears that her bunk mates will find out what she was arrested for and will turn their backs on her. Yet Cilka stays strong and does what she can to help her bunk mates, and other inmates as she works in the hospital ward. Cilkas potential is seen here and she is trained to be a nurse until she is released.

This book though labeled fiction, is a story based on memories of Cilka. Author makes it clear that though she didn’t meet Chilka, she did her research and met people who were close to her in order to share her story. However, with that its good to take with a grain of salt, as stories can change over time.

Stories like this are so incredibly important. Now more than ever. There are so many stories similar to Cilka, that have yet to be told. Too many women and young girls are assaulted during war and it’s not discussed enough. Instead it is pushed into the dark, forgotten left for these brave women to burden alone. It was never their fault, and it needs to be discussed. Their strength, and courage should never be forgotten.

amy_h29's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

maddiea247's review against another edition

3.0

i think it's hard to rate these books. acknowledging that both the tattooist of Auschwitz and Cilka's journey are based off true stories inclines me to rate higher, but after reading some of the controversy surrounding the author's publishing of the books, i'm leaning towards rating lower. so we sit at a 3 star. 
i think that despite the author claiming a clear distinction between what is factual and fictional, there isn't one, and so it does feel like the characters' experiences in Auschwitz and the Soviet prisons are romanticized and not taken as seriously. 
i connected more to this book than to #1 because i feel Cilka's character was more developed than Lale's, but simply put i disagree with treating these terrible events without their due gravity, especially considering the family's desire to keep this book from being published and the denouncement from the Aushwitz memorial. 
note, Cilka's Journey was on my book club list, and i hadn't read the tattooist of Auschwitz yet, so i read both. 

marionberry314's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

leahcmorris's review against another edition

dark inspiring sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

laurenisme's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

kristinalh's review against another edition

4.0

"Everyone affected by war, captivity, or oppression reacts differently-and away from it, people might try to guess how they would act, or react, in the circumstances. But they do not really know.

"They lift their glasses and toast, L'Chaim."

This was the sequel to The Tattooist of Auschwitz. It is Cilka's story, the harrowing lengths she went through in order to survive Auschwitz as well as the Vorkuta Gulag. It is a gut wrenching tale of survival and strength. The strength this woman had to keep on enduring the abuse, the secrets she had to keep, the sorrow and shame she felt. And the ending was perfect. I can't get enough of this series and am looking forward to reading the next book.

magak31's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

novelette's review against another edition

4.0

What a wonderful follow up to The Tattoist. It is nice to see that Cilka had a positive affect on people after her terrible job in Auschwitz.