Book
Cilka's journey / Heather Morris.
Record details
- ISBN: 9781250265708
- Physical Description: 343 pages : map ; 25 cm
- Edition: First U.S. edition.
- Publisher: New York : St. Martin's Press, 2019.
- Copyright: ©2019.
Search for related items by subject
| Genre: | Historical fiction. |
Available copies
- 31 of 31 copies available at BC Interlibrary Connect. (Show)
- 1 of 1 copy available at Terrace Public Library.
Holds
- 1 current hold with 31 total copies.
Other Formats and Editions
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Holdable? | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terrace Public Library | MOR (Text) | 35151001094655 | Adult Fiction | Volume hold | Available | - |
- Kirkus Reviews : Kirkus Reviews 2019 November #2
In this follow-up to the widely read The Tattooist of Auschwitz (2018), a young concentration camp survivor is sentenced to 15 years' hard labor in a Russian gulag. The novel begins with the liberation of Auschwitz by Soviet troops in 1945. In the camp, 16-year-old Cecilia "Cilka" Kleinâone of the Jewish prisoners introduced in Tattooistâwas forced to become the mistress of two Nazi commandants. The Russians accuse her of collaboratingâthey also think she might be a spyâand send her to the Vorkuta Gulag in Siberia. There, another nightmarish scenario unfolds: Cilka, now 18, and the other women in her hut are routinely raped at night by criminal-class prisoners with special "privileges"; by day, the near-starving women haul coal from the local mines in frigid weather. The narrative is intercut with Cilka's grim memories of Auschwitz as well as her happier recollections of life with her parents and sister before the war. At Vorkuta, her lot improves when she starts work as a nurse trainee at the camp hospital under the supervision of a sympathetic woman doctor who tries to protect her. Cilka also begins to feel the stirrings of romantic love for Alexandr, a fellow prisoner. Though believing she is cursed, Cilka shows great courage and fortitude throughout: Indeed, her ability to endure traumaâas well her heroism in ministering to the sick and woundedâalmost defies credulity. The novel is ostensibly based on a true story, but a central element in the bookâCilka's sexual relationship with the SS officersâhas been challenged by the Auschwitz Memorial Research Center and by the real Cilka's stepson, who says it is false. As in Tattooist, the writing itself is workmanlike at best and often overwrought. Though gripping, even moving at times, the novel doesn't do justice to the solemn history from which it is drawn. Copyright Kirkus 2019 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved. - Library Journal Reviews : LJ Reviews 2019 October
Based on real events, Morris's sophomore novel (
Copyright 2019 Library Journal.The Tattooist of Auschwitz ) follows a brave young Czech woman from Auschwitz-Birkenau to the gulag at Vorkuta, a Siberian prison labor camp. When the Soviets liberate Birkenau, they sentence 18-year-old Cilka Klein to 15 years hard labor for prostitution and espionage, though she was repeatedly raped by a German officer. En route to Siberia by cattle train, Cilka is fortunate to befriend Josie, who thereafter protects her like a sister. Cilka endures bitterly cold conditions with few provisions, repeated rape, and humiliation but forms a ragtag family with the 20 women of Hut 29. Haunted by the horrible years at Birkenau and the loss of her mother and sister, she longs for a better future. Offered a job in the hospital, she trains as a nurse under the tutelage of a compassionate Georgian volunteer, Dr. Yelena. As Cilka's responsibility grows, from the maternity ward, the infectious disease ward, and the ambulance, she feels purpose and contentment despite the horrors of the gulag where she will spend eight years.VERDICT Fans of Pam Jenoff will enjoy Cilka's incredible story of bravery and love.âLaura Jones, Argos Community Schs., IN - PW Annex Reviews : Publishers Weekly Annex Reviews
In the stirring follow-up to
Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly Annex.The Tattooist of Auschwitz , Morris tells the story of a woman who survives Auschwitz, only to find herself locked away again. Cilka Klein is 18 years old when Auschwitz-Birkenau is liberated by Soviet soldiers. But Cilka is one of the many women who is sentenced to a labor camp on charges of having helped the Nazisâwith no consideration of the circumstances Cilka and women like her found themselves in as they struggled to survive. Once at the Vorkuta gulag in Sibera, where she is to serve her 15-year sentence, Cilka uses her wits, charm, and beauty to secure an opportunity tending to the sick and malnourished within the camp. Morris weaves a fast-paced story that captures the immediacy of Cilka's duties caring for prisoners while appeasing guards at every step, but the brisk speed often papers over a lack of emotional depth and character development. Cilka and those around her respond with a positivity that feels unnatural. Even so, Morris's propulsive tale shows the goodness that can be found even inside the gulag. (Oct.)
