Cilka’s journey by Heather Morris

Cilka’s journey by Heather Morris is the second book I read by her. It was published earlier this month and I was so keen on reading it. The first book I read was The Tattooist of Auschwitz (see my review linked at the end of this post). While I preferred Lale’s story, I’ve enjoyed the book a lot, I gave it 5 stars, and I would recommend it.

Unlike Lale’s story, which takes place mostly in Auschwitz, Cilka’s story is about her journey and her time in the Russian Gulag. She was considered a conspirator with the Nazi, regardless that she was only 16 when she was imprisoned in death camp. She was sentenced to 15 years in the Gulag and the similarities between the camps are shocking. I think this is such an important book, showing how the far-right and the far-left can be so much alike.

As the first book, this is a fictional story but based on real people with real lives. Of course, some of the names are changed, some of the persons are based on one or more people. Even with this in mind, the book shows the real life in the Gulag, how cruel it could be. I would definitely recommend this book.

Cilka’s journey by Heather Morris

Details about the picture: –
My rating: 5/5 Stars
Would I recommend it: yes
Published by: Bonnier Zaffre
Year it was published: 2019
Format: Hardcover
Genre(s): Historical fiction
Pages: 448

About the author: Heather Morris was born in New Zealand and she now leaves in Australia. In 1995 Morris began work in the Social Work Department at Monash Medical Centre in Melbourne where she stayed until 2017. She wrote screenplays for years, taking a scriptwriting course, attending seminars in Australia and US.

In 2003 she was introduced to Lale Sokolov, an elderly gentleman “who might just have a story worth telling”. The Tattooist was intended to be a screenplay and went into competitions with it. She was inspired from competition readers to publish Lale’s story as a book. She went on to raise funds on a Kickstarter campaign, so she could publish her story as a novel. She continued with another book, about Cilka, a woman who helped Lale.
Books by her: The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Cilka’s journey.
Website & Social Media Links: heathermorris