In this follow-up novel to The Tattooist of Auschwitz, the camp has been liberated and 18 year old Cilka is finally going to be able to put the horrors of the last two years behind her. But things take a turn when her Soviet liberators accuse her of working for the Nazis and sentence her to 15 years in a Siberian gulag. Now Cilka can only hope that the Nazis prepared her enough for the horrors yet to come.
This novel had me sick to my stomach the entire way though, especially with the knowledge that it was based on a real person. It will absolutely rattle you and make you feel every emotion from disgust to rage to terror for the lives of Cilka and her friends. But, this novel also speaks to the bravery and tenacity of the woman who faced the struggles that Cilka endured, and will ultimately leave you full of admiration and hope. I highly recommend adding this to your list of WWII/survival novels.
This novel had me sick to my stomach the entire way though, especially with the knowledge that it was based on a real person. It will absolutely rattle you and make you feel every emotion from disgust to rage to terror for the lives of Cilka and her friends. But, this novel also speaks to the bravery and tenacity of the woman who faced the struggles that Cilka endured, and will ultimately leave you full of admiration and hope. I highly recommend adding this to your list of WWII/survival novels.