Review: Cilka’s Journey
Cilka’s Journey
Heather Morris-
Synopsis: Cilka was just 16 years old when she was arrested and put in Auschwitz. She caught the attention of the guards and they kept her for their own purposes, and made her the warden of Block 25. The last stop before the gas chamber. After surviving three years of rape, abuse, and sending women to their deaths, Cilka and the other prisoners are rescued. But Cilka’s troubles don’t end there. After being questioned by Russian police, Cilka is charged as a spy and accomplice and sentenced to 15 years in a Russian prison, that isn’t much better than Auschwitz. It seems that Cilka’s nightmare is only getting started.
Rating: PG-16– Not much in the way of language, and most of the harsher scenes aren’t terribly descriptive, but some scenes may be a little too intense for younger teens.
Sensitivity Warning: Rape, Infant Loss
Looking for a book that will give you every single one of the feels? Like, really. ALL of them. Then here you go!
Cilka’s Journey is an incredible read about the endurance of the human spirit. The horrible things that Cilka has had to face would be enough to kill just about anyone. But she keeps going. She keeps surviving! It’s both heartbreaking and inspiring. Several times, I caught myself feeling hopeful and then terrified that something terrible was going to follow it up. It was stressful!
I absolutely fell in love with Cilka. A few times throughout the book she is referred to as “the strongest woman ever”, and I feel like this is a pretty accurate description. Cilka has experienced so much trauma, and instead of it making her hard and cold, it instead makes her even more compassionate towards others. She spends so much time and energy trying to help others in the prison, and trying to make them more comfortable. It’s awe inspiring.
Technically, this is a follow up to Ms. Morris’s novel The Tattooist of Auschwitz. Or perhaps a spin off is more accurate. If you haven’t read it yet, don’t let that deter you from reading Cilka’s Journey. I was several chapters in before I found out. I haven’t read it either, and I never felt like I wasn’t understanding something. There are some characters from The Tattooist of Auschwitz mentioned, and I could kind of tell there was more to their story, but it wasn’t to the point where I felt lost or confused. There was enough given that I understood the connection between the characters.
I loved everything about this book. The pacing was perfect, the characters were complex, and intriguing. The story was gripping. I couldn’t find fault here if I wanted to. An all around wonderful read. I highly recommend this one to all you historical fiction fans! This one is definitely high ranking on my favorite’s list!