Cilka’s Journey starts off by introducing us to Cilka, an 18-year-old girl who was imprisoned at Auschwitz-Birkenau since she was 16 years old. She has just been “freed” by Stalin’s men. Before she can even comprehend the meaning of being free after all the shame, death and torture she had to endure, she is sent back to room for questioning. She is surrounded by these men who are supposed to be the heroes. She is then deemed a collaborator and sentenced to 15 years of hard labor in Siberia. The men proceed to place her on a train, with a bunch of other women who have also been accused of aiding the enemy. The conditions on the train are the same as they were when the Nazis were in charge – poor nutrition, unsanitary, and freezing. While on the train, Cilka meets a girl, even younger than her, who’s grandmother has just died. Cilka decides that she needs to take this young girl, Josie, under her wing and try to prepare her for what’s to come, while trying to protect her as well. What Cilka has learned from being at Auschwitz is to work hard, be invisible, and do what you can for the women around you. Cilka works hard to find herself a good place in the camp, one that will be beneficial for her, as well as her hut mates. Cilka refers back to the torture she had to endure during her stay at Auschwitz throughout the book but when another hut mate finds out the truth about her past, she starts to worry about what the other girls will think of her if they find out as well. The rest of the book goes into detail of the time spent at this camp. By the end of the book, she can open her heart to the possibility of love and a future, something that came to a halt for her entirely when she first arrived at Auschwitz when she was a young girl.
The style of the writing is phenomenal. There is enough detail throughout to keep you interested and give you a great picture of what’s happening. I love that there is a very clear distinction between the past and the present, with titles that allow you to keep track of the timeline.
There are two downfalls to this book, in my opinion. The first is the repetition that I felt come on at about 60% though. At this point, you’re constantly going on her daily nursing visits with her, and although everything that happens is all different, it starts to get a little boring. Outside of the patients she is caring for, nothing else really happens. There are tons of details about the every day operations, how she feels, and a very good understanding of the relationships she has within the environment, but then the ending comes, and it’s without detail. It happens so fast that the ending feels completely rushed and almost like a separate story.
All in all, this was a wonderful read. I was unable to put it down until it was finished. I look forward to more books from this author!
The style of the writing is phenomenal. There is enough detail throughout to keep you interested and give you a great picture of what’s happening. I love that there is a very clear distinction between the past and the present, with titles that allow you to keep track of the timeline.
There are two downfalls to this book, in my opinion. The first is the repetition that I felt come on at about 60% though. At this point, you’re constantly going on her daily nursing visits with her, and although everything that happens is all different, it starts to get a little boring. Outside of the patients she is caring for, nothing else really happens. There are tons of details about the every day operations, how she feels, and a very good understanding of the relationships she has within the environment, but then the ending comes, and it’s without detail. It happens so fast that the ending feels completely rushed and almost like a separate story.
All in all, this was a wonderful read. I was unable to put it down until it was finished. I look forward to more books from this author!