Advanced
Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.
Title details for Mala's Cat by Mala Kacenberg - Available

Mala's Cat

A Memoir of Survival in World War II

by Mala Kacenberg
Kristin Atherton
Audiobook
1 of 2 copies available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 2 copies available
Growing up in the Polish village of Tarnogrod on the fringes of a deep pine forest, Mala Szorer had the happiest childhood she could have hoped for. But at the age of twelve, as the German invasion begins, her beloved village becomes a ghetto, and her family and friends are reduced to starvation. So she takes matters into her own hands and bravely removes her yellow star so she can sneak out to the surrounding villages to barter for food. It is on her way back that she sees her loved ones rounded up for deportation and receives a smuggled letter from her sister warning her to stay away. In order to survive, she walks away from everything she holds dear to live by herself in the forest, hiding not just from the Nazis but from hostile villagers as well. She is followed by a stray cat who stays with her—and seems to come to her rescue time and time again. Malach the cat becomes her family, her only respite from painful loneliness, her guide, and a reminder to stay hopeful even when faced with unfathomable darkness. Allowing listeners to see the war through the innocence of a child's eyes, Mala's Cat is a powerful and unique addition to the Holocaust canon.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    January 4, 2022

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781666531138
      • File size: 251485 KB
      • Duration: 08:43:55

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      This amazing memoir of a Jewish girl's survival in Poland and Germany from 1939-45 is perfectly narrated by Kristen Atherton. Mala Szorer lost her family, but through a series of miracles she was able to survive in the forest around her village. A stray cat named Malach (Hebrew for "angel") becomes her companion and on many occasions saves Mala from harm. Mala is Torah-observant and throughout the memoir gives glory to "HaShem" ("The Name"--God) for her survival. After the war ends, she survives in several refugee camps, meets relatives in England, and, finally, is married in 1949. Atherton's pacing, inflection, expression, energy, and pronunciation (including German and Yiddish) are all perfect. It's hard to stop listening to this once one begins. M.T.F. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      June 1, 2022

      Holocaust survivor Kacenberg's suspenseful memoir comes to life through Kristin Atherton's skillful voicing. Preteen Mala watches as life in Poland is upended by the Germans. To survive, Mala removes her yellow star and strikes out alone with a stray cat she names Malach. She performs farm and housework, sleeps in ditches, and lies about her heritage. At the war's end, she relocates to a hostel in England, where she adjusts to life after the Holocaust. The production closes with Mala's daughter reading a Yiddish prayer taught to her by Mala and an English translation read by the narrator. Atherton's British accent adds punch to the crisp reading that is cool, aloof, stark, and on edge, often at the same time. The precarious nature of the times is evident in the tense, grave tone of the recording. Emotions are understated, with slight vocal nuances for character conversation. Yiddish, Hebrew, and German word pronunciations appear authentic. VERDICT Although the recording is filled with evidence of edits, the strength of this strong story will keep listeners engaged.--Stephanie Bange

      Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from November 1, 2021
      In this gorgeous debut, Kacenberg shares her harrowing and courageous story of surviving the Holocaust. In 1942, after returning from a trip to find food outside her Polish hometown of Tarnogrod, 15-year-old Kacenberg was told by a neighbor that her family had been rounded up for deportation by the Nazis. “If I were to survive,” she realized, “I would have to behave like a grown-up and fend for myself.” Accompanied by a stray cat she named Malach (the Hebrew word for angel), Kacenberg went into hiding, and, as she writes, Malach lived up to her name, emanating “a shield of protection” around her, even once clawing the face of a German man who threatened them. Blonde, blue-eyed, and resourceful, Kacenberg eventually took the alias of Stefania Iwkiewicz and managed to evade capture by convincing the Nazis she was a Christian and escaping to Germany, where she lived until the war ended. As she devastatingly describes, she wasn’t spared from the war’s unimaginable atrocities, including the killing of her entire family. Still, against all odds, Kacenberg lived to serve as a witness for those who were less fortunate, eventually marrying a fellow war survivor in 1949 and raising five children in the United Kingdom. This moving account is a welcome addition to the canon of WWII memoirs.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Loading