CILKA'S JOURNEY The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Book 2

Narrator Louise Brealey impressively conveys the horror in this controversial sequel to THE TATTOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ. The novel's fictionalization of a real person, particularly scenes involving sexual enslavement, is being viewed by some as unethical. The story focuses on Cecilia "Cilka" Klein. After surviving many years at Auschwitz-Birkenau, Cilka is sentenced to 16 years in a Siberian gulag for collaborating with the Nazis. Listeners will be horrified on behalf of Cilka and her barracks mates as they endure unimaginable mistreatment but will also feel hopeful when they help each other physically and emotionally. Brealey excels with the many accents and diverse personalities of the prisoners, their relationships, and the demands of their heartless captors. The repetitious and overly graphic descriptions of injuries and Cilka's unrealistic medical skills are somewhat ameliorated by Brealey's measured delivery. S.G.B. 2020 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2019]