Heather Morris has written Cilka’s Journey based on a character that she created in her prior novel “The Tattooist of Auschwitz”. Cilka is a Czechoslovakian Jew and during World War II she was imprisoned in the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. As she waited in one of the inspection lines, she caught the eye of one of the German generals. The general raped her and then decided to keep her as his personal property.
During her time in the concentration camp, she was placed in a barracks that housed women on their way to the gas chambers. Cilka was expected to keep the women calm and organize them when the guards came so that there was no delay in the exterminations.
When the Russians liberated the concentration camp, Cilka was called in to talk with the Russian commanders. They have a report that says she prostituted herself to the Nazis. Her attempts to explain fall on deaf ears and she is sent to Krakow to be investigated.
In Krakow, she is placed in a temporary holding cell. Women are punished if they attempt to talk. Sanitation is atrocious. Cilka has no idea how much time has passed since she arrived. Finally, she is given her sentence. She is to serve 15 years of hard labor. After sentencing, she is sent to Vorkuta Gulag in Siberia.
During intake, the prisoners are shaved, clothed and assigned to a hut where they will live. Each hut has a hierarchy and Cilka must establish her place. She makes a friend of the girl in the next bed. The living conditions are brutal. The women are forced to fill carts with coal in every type of weather.
After her friend is injured, Cilka accompanies her to the medical area. Cilka has managed to learn several languages and the physician treating her friend is impressed with her ability. Cilka is offered a job working in the hospital. This is a wonderful opportunity to stay out of the weather and work in a less physically demanding manner. She agrees to take the job. The noon meal provided in the hospital is much better than the meal served to the other workers. Cilka begins to save items from her meal to share with those living with her. While some of her fellow hut members are jealous of her new job, they are appreciative of the food she brings each day.
Cilka is a quick learner and the doctor that offered her the job now wants to train her as a nurse. This skill is one that she would be able to use once she has served her sentence. She trains as a nurse and then begins working in the labor and delivery area of the hospital. Her skills are in demand and she also assists in surgery and is trusted to be sent to the mine when severe accidents occur. Her bravery in these situations earns her recognition with the local camp Commandant.
As she continues serving her time, Cilka sees a male prisoner that she finds herself attracted to. They smile and exchange greetings as their paths cross. This young man, however, is caught sending information out of prison and is beaten severely. Cilka nurses him back to health. The evening before he is to return to general work, he is beaten again. Working with her friend the female doctor, his file is adjusted to reflect his death from the beating.
Will the change of identity save this man? Or are his injuries too severe? Will Cilka ever be released? Can she have a future after incarceration?
My Rating: 🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻
What I Liked: I enjoyed Heather Morris’s first book “The Tattooist of Auschwitz” and this was an offshoot of that story. She describes situations in a manner that brings you into the story. You feel the cold, the despair, the hopelessness. While the characters are based on actual people, she imbues them with such life that you feel you know them. You understand how they feel and why they are motivated to do the things they do.
The topics covered in this story are not easy to discuss. They are presented in a way that evokes sympathy. I never felt that she was using the story to preach or berate the reader. The story moves very quickly and is a fascinating read. I’ve never read anything about female prisoners in the Russian Gulags. This is truly an eye-opening portrayal of the prison system during the post-WWII era.
Additional thoughts: It isn’t necessary to read Heather Morris’s first book “The Tattooist of Auschwitz” prior to this novel. I would recommend reading both but my recommendation is based upon the fact that both books are well written, thought-provoking and impactful.