Cilka´s Journey - Heather Morris

 

Cilka´s Journey

Author: Heather Morris

Genre: History, World War II, Holocaust, Romance

Pages: 400

Rating: 5/5

Book in series: #2 (The Tattooist of Auschwitz) Standalone

ABOUT

"Her beauty saved her life - and condemned her.

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 Ivan, Cilka finds that despite everything that has happened to her, there is room in her heart for love.

'She was the bravest person I ever met'
Lale Sokolov, The Tattooist of Auschwitz"

THOUGHTS

This book is about more than just the Holocaust. It is also about how girls have been used by men, and in this case, it was a matter of survival for Cilka. Her beauty saved her life. An absolutely heartbreaking story based on true events.

RECOMMENDATION

I would absolutely recommend this to everyone who wants to learn more about World War II and the Holocaust. I believe this book is more suitable for older readers, such as late adolescence and up.

To sum up – a fantastic book for everyone who was captivated by the first book in the series, The Tattooist of Auschwitz.

Review writer: Josefin