After surviving three years at Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp, Cilka was arrested for "helping" the Nazis and was sentenced to 15 years in a Siberian prison camp well above the Arctic circle.
At the prison camp she was given another number and wondered, powerfully, how many times a person can disappear and still keep living.
Faced (once again) with suffering and pain, humiliation and abuse, Cilka keeps surviving.
The book takes us through her time at the prison camp and is at times infuriating and at other times heartwarming. As a reader, you fluctuate from outrage and fear for Cilka to smiling and cheering for her victories, both small and large.
This is both a historical piece that details some of the absolute worst of humanity as well as a character study on a person who not only survived two of the worst places on earth, but made others' lives better while she was there, whenever she could. She showed more bravery and integrity and humanity and compassion than most people ever would, even under ideal circumstances.
The only thing that kind of left me wondering was what happened to Josie. Did Cilka ever look for her? Otherwise, I loved everything about this story. I couldn't wait to read it. Every time I had to put it down, I was planning when I'd be able to pick it up again!
At the prison camp she was given another number and wondered, powerfully, how many times a person can disappear and still keep living.
Faced (once again) with suffering and pain, humiliation and abuse, Cilka keeps surviving.
The book takes us through her time at the prison camp and is at times infuriating and at other times heartwarming. As a reader, you fluctuate from outrage and fear for Cilka to smiling and cheering for her victories, both small and large.
This is both a historical piece that details some of the absolute worst of humanity as well as a character study on a person who not only survived two of the worst places on earth, but made others' lives better while she was there, whenever she could. She showed more bravery and integrity and humanity and compassion than most people ever would, even under ideal circumstances.
The only thing that kind of left me wondering was what happened to Josie. Did Cilka ever look for her? Otherwise, I loved everything about this story. I couldn't wait to read it. Every time I had to put it down, I was planning when I'd be able to pick it up again!