Cilka's Journey

Cilka's Journey by Heather Morris
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This review refers only to Cilka's Journey. I reviewed Tattooist of Auschwitz separately.
I found 2 aspects of this book.
One, how much fiction it is?
It is known that the Tattooist of Auschwitz raised same issues. Auschwitz Museum commented: "...resulted in creating a distorted version of Auschwitz. This is dangerous and disrespectful to history...". Source: LINK .
It looks, that the case of Cilka's Journey is even more controversial. A stepson of Cilka called the book "lurid and tittillating" LINK.
Reading the Acknowledgments section did not diminish my doubts. Most of thanks is directed to the personnel of the publishing company, few acknowledgments refer to general sources of information about Soviet gulags, even less to survivors or people who met Cilka.
Second aspect: how good is the story?
Initial chapters do not make it clear on what basis Soviet authorities sentenced Cilka to 15 years in gulag. There is a mention, that they screened each Auschwitz survivor ( 6,000 of them?).
In Vorkuta gulag Cilka is being blackmailed to do some favors to her inmates, otherwise some dark facts from her past in Auschwitz will be revealed.
At some stage, the story gets the balance, it turns to relation of numerous cases when Cilka made big sacrifices to help people around her. An obvious conclusion is, that she does it to erase her guilt.
On one hand I was quite touched by this part of the book. On the other, I got a feeling, that the author is just inventing a long sequence of events to demonstrate how noble and honest Cilka was. In my opinion it would have been better if she followed the advice of Cilka's stepson and admitted the the book is 99% fiction.

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The Shepherd's Hut

The Shepherd's Hut by Tim Winton
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Started this book with very positive attitude.
Beginning was OK, very convincing language and internal dialogue of a young boy (Jaxie) without any education, family ties or social skills. And so I progressed some 50 pages when a question came: is there any story?
So far there was none.
I accepted it and continued, concentrating on author's skill in a very credible presenting the way of reasoning of the main character. Characteristic features were: absolute ego-centrism, lots of self-pity, considering murder as the best solution in all doubtful situations.
And avoiding any facts.
Then another character arrives. First reaction, obvious - kill. Somehow it is avoided, but temptation returns at any suspicion of unloyalty.
The other character brings additional theme - sins of Catholic Church. (view spoiler)[ It does not look like Jaxie ever had contact with Catholic, or any other, church, but his immediate reaction is: kill. He does not kill, but considers that it justifies treating the other person with contempt and suspicion. As could be expected we never learn what were the reasons for other person's life in exile. (hide spoiler)]
Then, out of sudden, there is some action. Unexpected finding. (view spoiler)[ Hard to believe that two man whose main concern was to be met by strangers, lived for weeks in the close vicinity of a facility buzzing with life . (hide spoiler)]
Finally, what a relief, happy end - 3 people killed and the main character, free of any fears, speeds towards happy life forever.
Unbelievable.
While reading I did not feel any connection to this book, still, after completion, a strong distaste remained.



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