Cilka's Journey
By Heather Morris
- Release Date: 2019-10-01
- Genre: Historical Fiction
Description
From the author of the multi-million copy bestseller The Tattooist of Auschwitz comes a new novel based on a riveting true story of love and resilience.
Her beauty saved her — and condemned her.
Cilka is just sixteen years old when she is taken to Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp in 1942, where the commandant immediately notices how beautiful she is. Forcibly separated from the other women prisoners, Cilka learns quickly that power, even unwillingly taken, equals survival.
When the war is over and the camp is liberated, freedom is not granted to Cilka: She is charged as a collaborator for sleeping with the enemy and sent to a Siberian prison camp. But did she really have a choice? And where do the lines of morality lie for Cilka, who was send to Auschwitz when she was still a child?
In Siberia, Cilka faces challenges both new and horribly familiar, including the unwanted attention of the guards. But when she meets a kind female doctor, Cilka is taken under her wing and begins to tend to the ill in the camp, struggling to care for them under brutal conditions.
Confronting death and terror daily, Cilka discovers a strength she never knew she had. And when she begins to tentatively form bonds and relationships in this harsh, new reality, Cilka finds that despite everything that has happened to her, there is room in her heart for love.
From child to woman, from woman to healer, Cilka's journey illuminates the resilience of the human spirit—and the will we have to survive.
Reviews
Excellent read
5By Jaden321Great follow up to Tattooist of AuschwitzAmazing!!
5By Teacher2014hb31Truly amazing and heartfelt story!! Love the writing by Heather Morris!! Can’t wait to read the next novel!!We must never forget or deny…
5By Grandmother JoyceReading anything about the inhumanity of man/woman to men/women is heartrending, but so important to understand how truly horrific people can be. Cilka is so real, so strong, in the face of unbelievable horrors and choices. I had to take breaks while reading…but the people who suffered could not.Cilkas journey
4By Rio. RitaEnjoyable read but Liked the tattooist of auschwitz betterHard to read
5By gidey upGood book but hard to read. It’s incredible to me that humans can treat other humans so ruthlessly and still sleep at night. What’s even more amazing is that there were people like Cilka who were strong enough survive the horrible atrocities inside, be released, and have a life on the outside afterwards.Well done
5By horsetoastA great book- well writtenGreat read
4By pam801Really appreciated this book. Tattooist was also fabulousI can’t express how much I loved this book
5By Jessiep813I listened on audio and it was just wonderful. I love Cilka and so wanted to jump into the book to hug her and be her friend. Such an incredible storyI fell in love with reading
5By kiugi.Cilka’s Journey was the first of Heather Morris’s books that I found and upon finishing it, I rushed back to the book store to find The Tattooist of Auschwitz. The way she tells Cilka’s story is beautiful and detailed. I never wanted to put it down. Keep in mind that I haven’t always been a book worm, but this one? This one is the type of book that will keep me returning to a book store.Unbearably Sloppy
1By ThePatriotDear Editors. She’s Australian, on one page they use kilometers to the Arctic Circle then in the later half say miles to the Arctic Circle. Did anyone read this book for editing? Then there’s the underlying issue of just general writing where it feels unnecessary lacking in situational knowledge. Like... You see nursing and emergency response this way?