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lacey_wi's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Medical content, Murder, War, Violence, Sexual harassment, Excrement, Antisemitism, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Rape, Death of parent, Death, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Genocide, and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Drug use, Child death, and Fire/Fire injury
lonloveslit's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The second book in the Tattooist of Auschwitz series, Cilka’s Journey tells us about Cilka Klein; Auschwitz-Birkenau survivor, she finds herself a free woman finally only to be right back in a place filled with horror and death, branded a Nazi collaborator and criminal.
We’ve all heard about the Holocaust. We were taught it in school, we read about it, our families passed down the terrifying history so we never forget. But do we know what happened after? For many, freedom wasn’t achieved until many years later. For many, surviving Auschwitz and the other camps led them to their death in another place, murdered for crimes they did not commit.
Cilka is beautiful, strong, miraculous. We can’t even begin to imagine what she went through, but Heather Morris does a pretty good job of opening a little window into the Cilka she never got to meet, only through the stories of bravery and humanity she left behind.
Another solid 5 ⭐️ read.
We’ve all heard about the Holocaust. We were taught it in school, we read about it, our families passed down the terrifying history so we never forget. But do we know what happened after? For many, freedom wasn’t achieved until many years later. For many, surviving Auschwitz and the other camps led them to their death in another place, murdered for crimes they did not commit.
Cilka is beautiful, strong, miraculous. We can’t even begin to imagine what she went through, but Heather Morris does a pretty good job of opening a little window into the Cilka she never got to meet, only through the stories of bravery and humanity she left behind.
Another solid 5 ⭐️ read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Death
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Addiction
liz_ross's review against another edition
emotional
informative
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? No
4.5
"Everyone affected by war, captivity or aggression 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."
There are already so many, many books about WWII. So many books about Auschwitz, about its horrors and what the prisoners there went through. Stories of courage, of survival. And love, because love can be found even in the darkest and cruelest places. But they are still not enough, they will never be enough. Because no matter how many books about that time exist, they will never be enough to remeber every single soul that was tortured, destroyed, broken during that time. There will always be stories, people that will be forgotten, no matter how hard people try to find them. Stories of courage, survival and love that will never be remembered, that we will never know about.
Cilka's story is one of them. We will never know everything about her, we will never really now her story because she never got the chance to tell it herself. Morris did an amazing work, which I admire, searching for all those informations about her, about everything she went through. But this story is still not Cilka's. There are parts missing, parts that didn't happen exactly like it's described in this book. And yet, isn't it better to have this story, even if incomplete and probably not that accurate, than do not have her story at all? I believe it is, because even if the story isn't exactly like this, we have enough here to see Cilka as she was. A fighter, a survivor, a courageous person who lived a life no one deserves. Cilka's Journey is a story of courage, sacrifice and love that uncovers some of the most terrible mistakes that were made once the war was over.
Cilka chose to live, to survive in Auschwitz. Cilka chose to do not give up, to keep fighting, believing that one day the nightmare would be over and she would be free. No one can blame her, or anyone living under such cruel conditions, for doing what is needed to survive. And yet, once the war was over, the USSR looked at her and decided that she should be punished for wanting to live. She was raped again and again, but all the militars saw was someone who slept with the enemy. And because of that she was punished, sent to the coldest place on the face of Earth, from one hell to another. She was punished for being raped. And we would be stupid to think she was the only one. Many like Cilka suffered a destiny like her's, were punished for wanting to live.
That's one of the things that touched me the most. That after surviving in a place like Auschwitz, Cilka still had to pay for doing so. It wasn't the pnly one that touched me, though, and through the book I found many things, little details that touched me. The courage of all those women, the little sacrifices they were willing to do for each other. Those are the things that touched me and that make this story so beautiful.
But to be honest, I can't say that I appreciated this book since the beginning. However, it is not the book' fault. It's mine. When I read The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Cilka was one of the characters I couldn't connect with. She hadn't enough development. I do not really blame Morris for that, because after all it was Lale's story and he didn't really know Cilka during that time and what she went through to offer Morris enough details. But, when I opened this book, the idea I had from Cilka was one of a character that I couldn't connect with. And then I discovered that unlike Lale's story, Cilka's wasn't told by her, that it relied the most in documents Morris could find. And no one can truly believe that official documents will ever make justice to all the horrors those people in the Gulag went through.
And the result was me refusing to allow myself to even try to connect with Cilka. I simply didn't want to connect with a character that was meant to be a real person but without really being her (if that makes any sense). And because of that, everything I was reading even if touching, wasn't affecting me as it should, because I didn't connect with Cilka. I needed days to reach the 50% mark because of that. And then an event that happened near that mark and that didn't have the impact it should made me realize how stupid I was being. I was stopping myself from enjoying the book. So I took a deep breath and restarted the book. But this time I made an effort to forget that Cilka was not really Cilka, I told myself it didn't matter. And Cilka became real, the story became much more touching and heartbreaking. Things started to matter. And I started actually enjoying the reading. And in one day I read the entire book. Finally I was seeing Cilka as I believe that Morris wanted the readers to see her - not as one single woman but as a personification of all the women who suffered a destiny similar to Cilka's. She and the friends she made were not just people but a way for us to see different ways to survive in a place meant to kill you, different forms of courage and sacrifice.
The only complain I really have is the same I found in The Tattooist of Auschwitz. This story is meant to be based on real events and real people. So, please stop offering me love at first sight romances. It really doesn't work like that and even if it is undeniably beautiful to see that love can survive and exist even in places like Auschwitz and the Gulag, they make me cringe just to think about them. That's not how love works!
Overall, this book is definetly an emotional reading that has the power to make us see how unfair some of Auschwitz survivors were treated. But more than that, it is a story of friendship and courage that makes sure that one more survivor is remembered.
"She is just surviving. There is no one way to do it."
There are already so many, many books about WWII. So many books about Auschwitz, about its horrors and what the prisoners there went through. Stories of courage, of survival. And love, because love can be found even in the darkest and cruelest places. But they are still not enough, they will never be enough. Because no matter how many books about that time exist, they will never be enough to remeber every single soul that was tortured, destroyed, broken during that time. There will always be stories, people that will be forgotten, no matter how hard people try to find them. Stories of courage, survival and love that will never be remembered, that we will never know about.
Cilka's story is one of them. We will never know everything about her, we will never really now her story because she never got the chance to tell it herself. Morris did an amazing work, which I admire, searching for all those informations about her, about everything she went through. But this story is still not Cilka's. There are parts missing, parts that didn't happen exactly like it's described in this book. And yet, isn't it better to have this story, even if incomplete and probably not that accurate, than do not have her story at all? I believe it is, because even if the story isn't exactly like this, we have enough here to see Cilka as she was. A fighter, a survivor, a courageous person who lived a life no one deserves. Cilka's Journey is a story of courage, sacrifice and love that uncovers some of the most terrible mistakes that were made once the war was over.
Cilka chose to live, to survive in Auschwitz. Cilka chose to do not give up, to keep fighting, believing that one day the nightmare would be over and she would be free. No one can blame her, or anyone living under such cruel conditions, for doing what is needed to survive. And yet, once the war was over, the USSR looked at her and decided that she should be punished for wanting to live. She was raped again and again, but all the militars saw was someone who slept with the enemy. And because of that she was punished, sent to the coldest place on the face of Earth, from one hell to another. She was punished for being raped. And we would be stupid to think she was the only one. Many like Cilka suffered a destiny like her's, were punished for wanting to live.
That's one of the things that touched me the most. That after surviving in a place like Auschwitz, Cilka still had to pay for doing so. It wasn't the pnly one that touched me, though, and through the book I found many things, little details that touched me. The courage of all those women, the little sacrifices they were willing to do for each other. Those are the things that touched me and that make this story so beautiful.
But to be honest, I can't say that I appreciated this book since the beginning. However, it is not the book' fault. It's mine. When I read The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Cilka was one of the characters I couldn't connect with. She hadn't enough development. I do not really blame Morris for that, because after all it was Lale's story and he didn't really know Cilka during that time and what she went through to offer Morris enough details. But, when I opened this book, the idea I had from Cilka was one of a character that I couldn't connect with. And then I discovered that unlike Lale's story, Cilka's wasn't told by her, that it relied the most in documents Morris could find. And no one can truly believe that official documents will ever make justice to all the horrors those people in the Gulag went through.
And the result was me refusing to allow myself to even try to connect with Cilka. I simply didn't want to connect with a character that was meant to be a real person but without really being her (if that makes any sense). And because of that, everything I was reading even if touching, wasn't affecting me as it should, because I didn't connect with Cilka. I needed days to reach the 50% mark because of that. And then an event that happened near that mark and that didn't have the impact it should made me realize how stupid I was being. I was stopping myself from enjoying the book. So I took a deep breath and restarted the book. But this time I made an effort to forget that Cilka was not really Cilka, I told myself it didn't matter. And Cilka became real, the story became much more touching and heartbreaking. Things started to matter. And I started actually enjoying the reading. And in one day I read the entire book. Finally I was seeing Cilka as I believe that Morris wanted the readers to see her - not as one single woman but as a personification of all the women who suffered a destiny similar to Cilka's. She and the friends she made were not just people but a way for us to see different ways to survive in a place meant to kill you, different forms of courage and sacrifice.
The only complain I really have is the same I found in The Tattooist of Auschwitz. This story is meant to be based on real events and real people. So, please stop offering me love at first sight romances. It really doesn't work like that and even if it is undeniably beautiful to see that love can survive and exist even in places like Auschwitz and the Gulag, they make me cringe just to think about them. That's not how love works!
Overall, this book is definetly an emotional reading that has the power to make us see how unfair some of Auschwitz survivors were treated. But more than that, it is a story of friendship and courage that makes sure that one more survivor is remembered.
"She is just surviving. There is no one way to do it."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Death, Rape, Sexism, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Gun violence
Minor: War and Pregnancy
emilydg's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
- 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
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Suicide attempt and Death
jade_allkins's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Child death, Death, Death of parent, and Physical abuse
kelly_e's review against another edition
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Title: Cilka's Journey
Author: Heather Morris
Series: The Tattooist of Auschwitz, #2
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 3.25
Pub Date: October 1 2019
T H R E E • W O R D S
Heartbreaking • Triumphant • Well Researched
📖 S Y N O P S I S
At the age of sixteen, Cilka was sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. While there she catches the eye of one of the commandants and is given special living arrangements to ensure she's available to him as needed. Upon liberation, Cilka is charged with collaboration for sleeping with the enemy, and is sentenced to fifteen years in Siberian prison camp. Based on a true story, it is a story of survival and determination, of friendship and love in the face of such atrocities.
💭 T H O U G H T S
Having met Cilka in The Tattooist of Auschwitz, a book I absolutely loved, I couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy of this book. It may have been my expectations but I felt a bit let down. I'll start out by saying Heather Morris' research of the Siberian Gulags was extremely well done. This is an aspect of WWII that I knew very little about, and I appreciate learning about it. Cilka's character is truly a strong and inspiring woman, her courage and determination in the face of such horrific circumstances are what makes this book emotional. However, I did feel myself questioning what was fiction and what wasn't, because throughout this book fact and fiction are weaved together.
With that said, the subject matter was compelling, but I felt as though the author faltered in the execution. There just wasn't anything that stood out for me. And at time it even felt as though the author was looking to add shock value. While I normally enjoy alternating timeline narratives, this one wasn't as strong for me.
Overall, Cilka's Journey was an unsettling and difficult read due to content, and I wanted to love it, but it ended up just being okay for me. This is a follow up to The Tattooist of Auschwitz however it could just as easily be read as a standalone.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• WWII historical fiction fans
• readers looking to learn about post-WWII camps
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"'Hannah,' Olga says sharply, 'finding a little hope in the darkness is not a weakness.'"
Author: Heather Morris
Series: The Tattooist of Auschwitz, #2
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 3.25
Pub Date: October 1 2019
T H R E E • W O R D S
Heartbreaking • Triumphant • Well Researched
📖 S Y N O P S I S
At the age of sixteen, Cilka was sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. While there she catches the eye of one of the commandants and is given special living arrangements to ensure she's available to him as needed. Upon liberation, Cilka is charged with collaboration for sleeping with the enemy, and is sentenced to fifteen years in Siberian prison camp. Based on a true story, it is a story of survival and determination, of friendship and love in the face of such atrocities.
💭 T H O U G H T S
Having met Cilka in The Tattooist of Auschwitz, a book I absolutely loved, I couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy of this book. It may have been my expectations but I felt a bit let down. I'll start out by saying Heather Morris' research of the Siberian Gulags was extremely well done. This is an aspect of WWII that I knew very little about, and I appreciate learning about it. Cilka's character is truly a strong and inspiring woman, her courage and determination in the face of such horrific circumstances are what makes this book emotional. However, I did feel myself questioning what was fiction and what wasn't, because throughout this book fact and fiction are weaved together.
With that said, the subject matter was compelling, but I felt as though the author faltered in the execution. There just wasn't anything that stood out for me. And at time it even felt as though the author was looking to add shock value. While I normally enjoy alternating timeline narratives, this one wasn't as strong for me.
Overall, Cilka's Journey was an unsettling and difficult read due to content, and I wanted to love it, but it ended up just being okay for me. This is a follow up to The Tattooist of Auschwitz however it could just as easily be read as a standalone.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• WWII historical fiction fans
• readers looking to learn about post-WWII camps
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"'Hannah,' Olga says sharply, 'finding a little hope in the darkness is not a weakness.'"
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Genocide, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Death, Grief, and Medical trauma
Minor: Addiction and Pregnancy
stillbirthjamiejanae_6's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence
bexwalsh's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Grief, Medical content, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, and Sexual assault
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
alvenb00's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
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
Heater Morris tells the amazing stories of survivors and she does a great job capturing the pain and reality of what happened during and after WWII.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Medical content, Medical trauma, Sexual harassment, Rape, Physical abuse, Hate crime, Forced institutionalization, Death, and Child death
gaynorcaw's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Another brilliant book from Heather Morris very moving I enjoyed this immensely and the it was very informative of what went on in the Russian Gulags a subject less written about than the German Prison camps
The heroine was an amazing person wish I could have met her
The heroine was an amazing person wish I could have met her
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cultural appropriation, Death, Genocide, and Rape