Book Review: Cilka's Journey 𓇢𓆸

˚⊱ ❀ ⊰˚

Today I'll be doing a book review on Cilka's Journey! I had checked this book out through school and I'm glad I did. For a while, this book had a big impact on me after reading, which is a sign of a great book. 

Author: Heather Morris

Publisher: St. Martin's Press 

Date published: October 1st, 2019

Rating: 10/10!!!

This book was inspired by a true person who experienced the unimaginable horrors of being stuck in a war-torn world. 

Can you imagine surviving Auschwitz for 3 years and upon your liberation you are sentenced to 15 years of hard labor at a Siberian Gulag? This is Cilka's journey. 

Summary 𖤣.𖥧.𖡼.⚘: 

Cilka was a young girl who survived Auschwitz only to be wrongfully imprisoned again -- this time in a brutal Soviet labor camp in Siberia. Cilka was only 16 when she was forced into an unfortunate position to survive the concentration camp, and those choices are now used against her. In the Siberian Gulag, she has no choice but to endure the bitter cold, hard labor, and constant fear. But she has a strong spirit, and even in the harshest conditions, she finds moments of humanity. She's assigned to work in the hospital, where she begins to learn nursing and discovers a new purpose in helping others. Through her journey, she finds deep friendships and she slowly begins to reclaim her sense of self, strength, and even hope. 

Favorite characters 𖤣.𖥧.𖡼.⚘: 

Cilka 𖤣.𖥧.𖡼.⚘: Cilka was my favorite character from the get-go. She was an incredibly sympathetic person. I liked her immediately because of the way she nurtured some of the younger prisoners, as well as how kind she was to Josie, who was practically alone since her grandmother did not  make it to the camp. She also had a hero-like sense of hope, which was fascinating to read throughout; she did not give up no matter what she faced and always found a way to survive. 

Yelena 𖤣.𖥧.𖡼.⚘: Yelena was my second favorite, since without her help, Cilka would not have been able to get out of the gulag and finally be free. Yelena was the doctor who aided Cilka along the way and provided for her when she was in her lowest moments. 

Theme 𖤣.𖥧.𖡼.⚘ (My opinion) 

I believe this book is a moving testament to how resilient and powerful the human spirit can be. Cilka had hope in the darkest moments of human history, and I admired her for that.

Favorite Quotes 𖤣.𖥧.𖡼.⚘: 

• ¨ Survival is not the same thing as living.¨

• ¨No one becomes a monster overnight.¨

• ¨ In the face of cruelty, kindness is rebellion.¨

• ¨Forgiveness is the ultimate act of liberation.¨

• ¨History may try to forget us, but our stories will live on."

Pacing of the book 𖤣.𖥧.𖡼.⚘: 

Honestly, the pace of the book was just right. I read the book like water despite it being around 352 pages. I was done within 2 days since I wanted to read it whenever I had free time, otherwise I would have finished throughout a day. 

You should give this book a try if you´re into history and like hearing acts of hope and resilience. I´m into genres like these, so if I liked it, I´m sure you will too!