Reviews with content warning for Addiction - Cilka's Journey

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.

Content Warnings

kelly_e's review against another edition

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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.'"

Content Warnings

punnypenguin's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional informative reflective fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

I read this book cover to cover in less than 12 hours, it is so gripping. I highly recommend anything written by Heather Morris

Content Warnings

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