Review: Heather Morris's "Cilka's Journey (The Tattooist of Auschwitz #2)."

Amazon.com: https://amzn.to/2mJAJ1X

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2l55ttX

Synopsis: 

Cilka is just sixteen years old when she is taken to Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp, in 1942. The Commandant at Birkenau, Schwarzhuber, notices her long beautiful hair, and forces her separation from the other women prisoners. Cilka learns quickly that power, even unwillingly given, equals survival.

After liberation, Cilka is charged as a collaborator for sleeping with the enemy and sent to Siberia. But what choice did she have? And where did the lines of morality lie for Cilka, who was sent to Auschwitz when still a child?

In a Siberian prison camp, Cilka faces challenges both new and horribly familiar, including the unwanted attention of the guards. But when she makes an impression on a woman doctor, Cilka is taken under her wing. Cilka begins to tend to the ill in the camp, struggling to care for them under brutal conditions.

Cilka finds endless resources within herself as she daily confronts death and faces terror. And when she nurses a man called Alexandr, Cilka finds that despite everything that has happened to her, there is room in her heart for love.

Review: Jo

"They took my clothes. They took my youth, my identity, 

and then they took my name and gave me a number." 

“Cilka’s Journey” was without a doubt one of my most anticipated reads of this year. After meeting Cilka in “The Tattooist of Auschwitz”, just like other readers I was eager to find out what had happened to her after the of the liberation of Auschwitz. It’s important to know that this book is a work of fiction that is based on a real life. A life that Heather Morris researched so that she could gather all of the facts and work a story around them. What the author delivered from all of the information was a story that both broke my heart and left me in awe of Cilka’s strength and courage. Lale Sokolov said that Cilka was the bravest person he ever met and after reading this book I can one hundred percent agree with him.

"There is a better world out there. I've seen it. I remember it."

This was a book that I could hardly put down. I read it in only a few days as I was compelled to keep turning the pages to discover what became of Cilka’s life. Cilka was a heroine in every sense of the word. Forced to deal with even more horrendous circumstances, yet she continued to keep going and once again found a way to survive. She made the best that she could out of an unjust and awful situation. Out of all of Cilka’s story, I couldn’t get over how unfairly she was treated after everything that she had already endured in Auschwitz. I’m just glad that in the end Cilka did find her happy ending.

"It is time to live now, Cilka. Without fear, and with the miracle of love."

I am pleased to say that this story did not disappoint. A mixture of both fact and fiction made this a fascinating read. The only thing that I would have loved and wasn’t included was a picture of Cilka. It would have been lovely to have a face to the name, like I was given at the end of Lale and Gita’s story. If you have read “The Tattooist of Auschwitz” this is an absolute must.

“Cilka’s Journey” gets ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️  from me.