Cilka's Journey

I have never understood the hate that brought on the holocaust. It’s hard to understand that much hate and desire to eradicate a whole race of people.

This novel is based on a skeleton of factual details regarding the life of Cilka Klein. The story itself is fictional, intended to represent the types of experiences that the real Cilka probably faced. Having said that, this novel gives readers a peak into the experiences that millions faced in the Soviet gulags. Most of this story is set in a frigid gulag with flashbacks to Cilka's survival in Auschwitz-Birkenau.The story is a compelling one, an interesting one, and even an educational one. For those like I who have not read "The Gulag Archipelago," this book will give you an understanding of human survival under such inhuman conditions, both natural and human-imposed. On that basis alone, this book is worth the read.As a bonus, this book is the first one I have read in over a year that did not contain a single grammatical or spelling error. Kudos to the editors and their attention to detail, an art that seems to have been lost in modern times.

This story is a horrible one. I cannot even imagine the life these people were forced to live. Heather Morris does an excellent job of portraying the Jewess, Cilka, the closed-off woman, who protects her soul and her sanity at all costs, as she is charged and convicted of being a Nazi collaborator because she was raped over and over again by one Nazi officer in particular, and many others too, and then sent to a Soviet gulag as far north of the globe as one can go. Her ability to close herself off is sad, yet she couldn't survive without her resolve to let nothing in. Cilka's story is a sad one, there is a glimmer of hope at the end, but this is a story of survival, with no real "happy ending". Definitely worth the read.

Cilka Klein is a strong woman who lived through insurmountable horrors. This book offers all emotions anger sadness happiness and fear, you'll definitely fall in love with Cilka and her story!

A fascinating read that follows Cilka to a Soviet Gulag after her time at Auschwitz. I was unfamiliar with the Soviet work camps and my heart breaks for those who sent there (many to their death). What a brave resilient woman!

I couldn't put the book down.

After reading the first book in the series, The Tattooist of Auschwitz, I was so looking forward to this book as I wondered what happened to Cilka. This book is well written. It gives such a descriptive analysis of Cilka’s life within the walls of a Siberian prison. Her suffering is felt throughout the book (she survived Auschwitz) only to be again victimized by those who were sent to free her. She was imprisoned because someone’s else’s methods of abuse was how she survived the brutality of the Nazi’s. This is such a sad story yet to see how she, throughout all of the abuse, was humbled enough to think of others before herself. In these horrific situations, there were many angels. Angels who helped Cilka at times where she could not trust but learned to, if only for a moment. I am so happy that she was able to find true love. She was most deserving. My heart goes out to all who have survived this horrific moment in history and to those who lost their lives because of the evil of humanity. Heartfelt thanks to the author for working so hard in trying to make sure Cilka’s story was shared with the world.

Love this story! The author keeps you interested in the way she tells this. I enjoyed it so much I bought her next book "Three Sister"

After finishing the first book I was quite stok to read this one. With compelling story, capture every moment brilliantly wheather sad or happy. It's truly a tale that everyone should need to know about. I personally like this one better than the original. Though it sometime heart-wrenching read but also one of the most inspiring book I ever read.4.9/5

Good book

Great book. Please follow my advise and read it in this order1. The Tattooist of Auschwitz2. Cilka's Journey3. Three sisters

Bellissimo libro, appassionante e ben scritto, su una realtà, quella dei gulag russi, poco narrata

I had originally read The Tatooist from Auschwitz’s…based on realityof a survivor…it remains so impossible to me that people could be so cruel …and amazing that anyone survived the abuse …I followed this story further,reading Three Sisters ,then Cilkas Journey ,,such necessary historical events necessary to remind us to never let this happen again !?some repetition in the last two books but overall the authors writing definitely pulled me in.i think it should be read as a series by Helen Morris ! Bevmacdougall ps our book club has read the first two books !