Cilka's Journey

This novel is based on a skeleton of factual details regarding the life of Cilka Klein. The story itself is fictional, intended to represent the types of experiences that the real Cilka probably faced. Having said that, this novel gives readers a peak into the experiences that millions faced in the Soviet gulags. Most of this story is set in a frigid gulag with flashbacks to Cilka's survival in Auschwitz-Birkenau. The story is a compelling one, an interesting one, and even an educational one. For those like I who have not read "The Gulag Archipelago," this book will give you an understanding of human survival under such inhuman conditions, both natural and human-imposed. On that basis alone, this book is worth the read. As a bonus, this book is the first one I have read in over a year that did not contain a single grammatical or spelling error. Kudos to the editors and their attention to detail, an art that seems to have been lost in modern times.

Such a wonderful read about the Holocaust. This book is the second in a series of books. Such a wonderful author!

This story is a horrible one. I cannot even imagine the life these people were forced to live. Heather Morris does an excellent job of portraying the Jewess, Cilka, the closed-off woman, who protects her soul and her sanity at all costs, as she is charged and convicted of being a Nazi collaborator because she was raped over and over again by one Nazi officer in particular, and many others too, and then sent to a Soviet gulag as far north of the globe as one can go. Her ability to close herself off is sad, yet she couldn't survive without her resolve to let nothing in. Cilka's story is a sad one, there is a glimmer of hope at the end, but this is a story of survival, with no real "happy ending". Definitely worth the read.

Loved it

I read a lot of historical fiction. This one of the most gripping story I have read about the journey of a Jewish girl . The courage and strength it took to survive the inhumane treatment is mind boggling. thank you for putting her story onto paper. May this world never allow this to happen to anyone ever again, I cried and I cheered at each small thing she achieved. May she be at peace!

Wow…. My heart breaks at each new thing that was said. The frustration I felt for her, but the hope I had for her as the book went along. Such an amazing book, but so very sad at the same time.

Enjoyed this book, made my cry with the part with her mom 😭 really good book

Cilka’s Journey left an indelible imprint on my soul. When I am feeling low, all I have to do is think about Cecilia Klein, and I am uplifted. I’ve have had the opportunity to know some holocaust survivors. I am amazed at their resilience and determination to keep on going despite the incredible adversities they have faced. I am thankful to Heather Morris for her extraordinary novels, Tatooist of Auschwitz’s and Cilka’s Journey. I highly recommend these two books.

After finishing the first book I was quite stok to read this one. With compelling story, capture every moment brilliantly wheather sad or happy. It's truly a tale that everyone should need to know about. I personally like this one better than the original. Though it sometime heart-wrenching read but also one of the most inspiring book I ever read. 4.9/5

Good book

Heather Morris follows up her tearjerking story of love and survival, 'The Tatooist of Auschwitz', with another heart-rending semi-true tale showing the best and worst of humanity. We met the character Cilka in the first novel, where she was an important supporting character - a teenaged camp inmate who was forced to act as the concubine for the camp's commandant. In this sequel, she is the main character, and we follow her from the concentration camp to another prison - a Soviet gulag in the Arctic where she is sentenced to 15 years hard labour for collaboration. The sheer injustice of her situation is breathtaking - after years of horrendous abuse, she is punished for simply having done what she had to in order to avoid being killed. It's not some crazy fiction - Cilka was a real person and she really was imprisoned for this reason. The other women around her are being brutally punished for similar non-crimes, like wanting to marry someone from another country, or being related to the wrong person. The gulag is a fascinating though horrible world with its own code of conduct and politics. It is less utterly depraved than Auschwitz - which is very faint praise indeed. But the fact the prisoners have a degree more freedom and a degree less fear gives more opportunity for stories to develop. Cilka gradually makes some friends and finds meaningful work in the prison hospital, but she is damaged by her experiences and her courageous nature mean she is not as good at keeping her head down as she tries to be. It's impossible not to root for Cilka and want her to succeed, and there are many likeable supporting characters as well. It's not a cheerful read - but you wouldn't expect it to be. It is however life-affirming and a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the goodness in human nature, as well as a depiction of the results of the worst inhumanity. If you are likely to be upset by a story featuring violence, including sexual violence, and descriptions of horrible treatment of human beings then you might want to steer clear. All in all it's a well written book with a strong emotional punch and sheds light another shameful episode in human history.

Great book. Please follow my advise and read it in this order 1. The Tattooist of Auschwitz 2. Cilka's Journey 3. Three sisters

Bellissimo libro, appassionante e ben scritto, su una realtà, quella dei gulag russi, poco narrata