Publication Info:
Cilka's Journey is a Historical Fiction Novel that was published on October 1, 2019. It was written by Heather Morris, and published by St. Martin's Press.
Brief Synopsis:
Similarly to Morris's former book, The Tattooist of Auschwitz, this book follows the story of one person, Cilka. While Cilka was a smaller character in the The Tattooist she takes center stage in this sequel.
At the very young age of 16, Cilka is taken to Auschwitz-Birkenau. It is here that she meets Lale and Gita from Morris's former book. It is also where she is noticed by the commandant who then takes her for himself. He spends the next several years using her in any way that he sees fit; often meaning that he takes sexual advantage of her. On top of all of this she is then put in charge of block 25; or better known as the block where the Nazi's would prep to take the Jewish people to the incinerators.
Cilka's problems do not stop here, in fact they seem to just be starting. Most who read The Tattooist of Auschwitz (including myself) thought that this book was going to be the same story told from the perspective of Cilka. Unfortunately, this is not the case. While the book recaps some of what takes place in The Tattooist, it actually moves into Cilka's next chapter rather early in its pages.
After Auschwitz-Birkenau is liberated by the Russians, Cilka is taken and interrogated by the soldiers. She soon realizes that they know she had been sleeping with the commandant. Because of this they label her a spy and conspirator of the Nazi regime. As a result, she is sentenced to 15 years of labor in a Russian gulag. She is then sent to Vorkuta, Siberia which is one of the coldest places on Earth. The book then follows Cilka as she tries to survive this new horror in one of the toughest places in the world.
Review:
I love, and hate this book....the end.
I'm kidding, but not really. I think this book is phenomenal. Morris has done another fantastic job of capturing the horrors that people of this time endured. Cilka's Journey captures the reader very early in its pages and does not let them go. Allow me to make a bold statement; I enjoy this book more that Morris's former work. This story is so compelling and the reader cannot help but love Cilka. Morris does such a great job of helping the reader relate, sympathize, and worry about her. I felt myself drawn more to Cilka's character than to Lale's in The Tattooist.
I said that I hate this book as well. But I do not really hate the book. I hate the situations that Cilka is put through. This book continues to sucker punch the reader into feeling anger, hate, and resentment. More than all of this, I hate this book because Morris does such a great job of making these past events real for a modern audience. Being almost 80 years removed from these horrors, it can be hard for us to feel appropriately about them. This book helps to refocus and readjust our understanding of the things that took place even after the war ended. What makes me truly sad is that this is just one story; who knows how many others faced a similar fate.
Conclusion:
I want to give a few disclaimers before I give my conclusion. This book, like The Tattooist of Auschwitz, is Historical Fiction. While it is based on Cilka, who is a real person that went through these things, many of the characters were either made up or consolidated to help push the story along. Morris also gives a writers note at the end of the book saying that Lale told her the story of Cilka, but she has found that there are some conflicting accounts of some detail throughout the book. This, however, does not take away from the story, and I applaud Morris for being honest about her research. Finally, there is some difficult subject matter throughout this book. While I thoroughly enjoyed this book, some will not be able to handle the graphic material within its pages. I implore you to give this book a fighting chance.
Cilka's Journey is an amazing story of hope, resilience, passion, and determination even in the middle of what could be described as the worst of circumstances. Morris has done an incredible job of transporting the reader back to another time and taking them on a journey with Cilka. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who is willing to read it.
Rating - 4.5/5
Next Review - Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance
Currently Reading - Evicted - Matthew Desmond
Comments