Tatuazysta z Auschwitz

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Once again, I learned of the controversy that surrounded the first book has followed this one too! Add to that the issue I had upon learning that Cilka's husband did not want to be named or be a part of this book and her stepson said this telling is both lurid and titillating, being hurtful and appalling to the memory of his stepmother. The Holocaust was horrific and couldn't believe all the awful things that happened in the concentration camp and the Siberian prison camp was just as bad. This book shakes you to the core, feel deeply sad, devastated, helpless for all those brave women stayed in the hell and achieved to live after all their losses, suffers because they were so mentally and psychically so strong and admirable, adorable people. I don't think I quite prepared myself, or wasn't able to entirely remove myself from the novel, so became completely invested and because of this, it absolutely tore me apart.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press, Heather Morris, and NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

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Cilka’s stomach suddenly feels very small. It wouldn’t be the first time she’s eaten a dead person’s food. (c) HIGHLY recommend to fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz and historical fiction. This one is much darker than The Tattooist, but equally critical and a story that needs to be heard. Cilka’s Journey” broke me. This is Cilka’s story of survival during the absolute worst of times. Any other person would not have survived and yet she did. First, she survived Auschwitz-Birkenau, only to be liberated and then sentenced by the Soviets to 15 years in Vorkuta gulag in Siberia. It is unthinkable and yet, for Cilka, it was her penance, for doing what she had to do, sleep with the enemy to make it through. But the job is distracting her from her troubles too. Always a new problem to solve, something new to learn. If she did continue working here it would almost feel like a life, a way of keeping herself shut off from the memories of the past and the horror of her present situation. (c)

That's what happens when you are liberal with truth. No, I get everything about the writer's freedom to portray stuff whichever way's the most titillating, etc. But imagine surviving the horrors only to be, once again, publicly scrutinised in a variety of ways. Not good. The only slight criticism I have about the book is I felt like it was a rushed ending. I'm not trying to give away spoilers, so I will just say I'm specifically talking about the Epilogue. I think there was some room to expand there as I was left wanting just a bit more.She sobs silently at the hopelessness she suddenly feels for her future and the people who will never be in it. (c) They retreat into their own shame, grateful for the fresh bodies that will provide some relief from their assault. (c) The author confirmed that Cilka was a real person, but many events in the book are her own interpretation of Cilka's experiences. Even though this is a work of fiction, Cilka Klein was a real person. She was a Jewish girl born in Bardejov. She was a prisoner in both Auschwitz and Siberia. She endured rape, abuse, hunger, and so much death. Everyone she loved, was taken from her. Yet, she found new friendships and a doctor in Siberia who was sympathetic to her and decided to help her and train her.

For many it is obvious: visible wounds exist, blood seeps through scraps of material masquerading as a bandage or tourniquet. (c) star for Cilka's 'angelic, naive and oversimplified' worldview. She was a bit one-dimentional, all right. Then again, just try staying a multidimentional, well-rounded person after being raped for 2 years in a Nazi death camp and going afterwards to a Siberian labour camp. It's a wonder she isn't shown barking mad. Mostly, I liked the girl managing to survive against all odds and helping other people. Section 11 of the audiobook was extremely informative! The Author's Note and Additional Information by Morris helped me learn more about the real Cilka. The Afterword written by Owen Matthews gave a detailed account of the Vorkuta gulag. The Interview with Heather Morris enlightened me in her journey to not only write The Tattooist of Auschwitz, but why she chose to write Cilka's Journey.It is scary to read that he was also a Doctor whom we expect to be empathetic and kind to others. The barbaric Medical experiments he did on innocent people were the scariest thing I ever heard about. We can see victims of his actions in this novel and how they felt after seeing him again after the Medical experiments.

I had not known about these Siberian prison camps prior to reading this novel. I was devastated to learn that these dreadful prison camps continued existing after the liberation of Auschwitz. The charges that Cilka faced were so extremely unjust. Had Cilka denied the commandant what he requested, she would have been killed. What other option did she have? My mind was spinning with this situation throughout the entire novel. What options did these prisoners have other than to accept what was demanded of them? Of course five bravery, heroic, admiring, astonishing, full of tears, heart-wrenching, world-changing stars coming to this story. The book is wonderful for what it makes us think about. How would we have acted? Not just in Birkenau but also in the gulag. This was a Traveling Sister read and I loved reading this with them and it was a wonderful discussion. This is a great book to do as a group read. This isn’t a book where I zealously highlighted sentences. Few words of wisdom, just a closeup look at an amazing person who endured unimaginable suffering. I only underlined sentences that I thought were eloquent, and there weren’t a lot. If I dole out 5 stars, it usually means I highlighted like crazy. Here, I gave the book 5 stars because Morris is such a good storyteller: The plot is well paced and almost flawless, and Cilka is well drawn. Morris taught me things about Siberian labor camps, mostly about the dynamics of prisoners and what they were forced to endure. Most important, Morris made me feel something for Cilka and her fellow sufferees. Highlights not required.In Siberia, Cilka impresses one of the camp's female doctors with her skills and capacity for languages. The doctor offers her a job. A job like this has its advantages, but it may cause jealousy among the other women. A huge thank you goes out to St. Martin’s Press for sending me a galley of this novel to cherish always.