A Tale of One January

by Albert Maltz

Poland, January 1945. Two women and four men escape from a Nazi death march. Each is from a different background and a different country, but all have endured the horrors of imprisonment in Auschwitz. They find refuge in an abandoned factory, and suddenly they realize that they are no longer mere numbers. Even in their wild euphoria at being free, however, they can have no certainty about their future.
This is a tale of exploding joy within a hothouse of fear, a tale of human beings erupting into life after breaking free of the embrace of death – an unusual and moving tale that cements Albert Maltz's reputation as a compassionate observer of character and one of the finest storytellers of his generation.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, American, 20th Century, Holocaust

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 28, 1989

About the author

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_M...

Reviews

[Sujoya - theoverbookedbibliophile · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in 1945 Poland and inspired by true events, The Tale of One January by Albert Maltz tells the story of six prisoners of Auschwitz who manage to escape the Death March and take shelter in an abandoned factory in a neighboring town.

In January 1945, Claire, a Frenchwoman and Lini, a Dutch Jew manage to escape during the Death March from Auschwitz by hiding in a haystack during a halt in their journey. Four men from another death march also have the same idea and the six of them decide to stay together until the advancing Russian Army arrives. (They can hear the distant sounds of the Russian rocket guns slowly getting closer). The men were non –Jewish political prisoners -two of the men, Otto and Norbert were German; Jurek was Polish and Andrey was Russian. Claire, multilingual and having worked as a translator with the SS, helps them communicate with one another. The group of six manages to find shelter in an abandoned factory in a nearby village where they believe they would be safe from the eyes of the retreating German Army. As the narrative progresses we follow this group as they spend the next few days as they each share stories of their lives from before the war, the events that led to their arrest and what they envision for their future. A local farmer helps them with food and water and after years spent in the horrific concentration camps, their new circumstances are cause of both elation and reflection. The clean water, the freedom to bathe, sleep and eat on their own time, and simple meals of potatoes and cabbage while making them happy also trigger traumatic memories.

“We’ve moved from Auschwitz to paradise.”

This is a character-driven story and the author delves into the psyche of these six people who spent years in captivity, fighting for survival. We witness moments of fear, hope, sorrow, grief, anger, empathy, resentment, kindness, trust, friendship and attraction and desperation – a spectrum of reactions and emotions that rise to the surface – proof that after everything they have endured, they have not lost themselves completely.

Originally published only in England in 1967 this is the first time the novel is being published in the USA. The author, one of the Hollywood Ten, had been blacklisted on account of which his book was not published in the United States. Do read the Introduction by Patrick Chura, where he discusses the historical context and the people and events that inspired this novel. I would suggest, however, that you read the Introduction after reading the novel.

Heartbreaking, brutal yet incredibly moving, this is a short novel but not an easy read. A must-read for those who enjoy WWII fiction inspired by true events and people.

Many thanks to Bloomsbury USA and NetGalley for the much-appreciated digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Please note that certain terminology might offend some if viewed from a contemporary lens but were contextually relevant in the era in which this story is based.

“For the rest of my life I’ll talk about Auschwitz and Fascism. I’ll talk on street corners if I’m able. I’ll write articles and send them to newspapers. What did we suffer for to let people forget it?”

[Christy fictional_traits · Rating 4 out of 5]

'only four days ago, when we woke up in the morning, we were numbers...slaves...dirt. Now, each of us has his own character again, his own pride, his own humanity'.

As WW2 drew to a close in 1945, 6 Auschwitz prisoners managed to escape their death march and find relative safety in a nearby, abandoned warehouse and manage to elicit basic care from a nearby Polish neighbour. They are free of the Germans, and they are free from being prisoners, but what do they do with freedom? This incredible moment is based on Albert Maltz's interview with a Holocaust survivor.

'A Tale of One Journey' is a work of literary fiction that explores how two women and four men slowly journey towards feeling human again after years of being utterly dehumanised in Nazi concentration camps. Like the slow thawing of the frostbite Lini, one of the women recovers from, all must not only search for who they once were but who they want to be now they are unexpectedly free. 'Existence in Auschwitz had been a daily agonized struggle to control fear...to retain equilibrium in the face of limitless horror. Now, in the isolation of this blessed hideout, it was impossible to maintain defences'. As their walls come down, a yearning grows for love and human touch, as does a sense of self-awareness and vanity.

This story is short and elemental: when you have been denied an existence, stripped of hope for a future, what do you do with an unexpected gift of life after so much death? Different from reading a biography or a memoir of a concentration camp survivor, 'A Tale of One January' seeks to dig deeper and find the person behind the identity. This is certainly a unique read which gives readers cause for thought.

[Liberty {LittyLibby} · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow wow wow. I cannot believe this is only recently being published in the United States, and the rabbit hole surrounding blacklisted Hollywood actors and writers was very informative and something I didn't know anything about. This story is lovely in so many ways, and also devastating. I'm so glad it came across my path and I was able to read it in January to top it off.

[Olivia Kow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m so mad at this book and the emotions it made me feel!!!!! This was such a wonderful story that stands the test of time, originally being published in 1967. Im so glad I was able to read this story; being an avid reader of wwII/Holocaust historical fiction, I have never read a book like this.

This book really makes you fall in love with the characters. It’s very character-driven instead of plot-driven, exploring the relationships and dynamics between characters in a time no one today could truly comprehend the emotions they would be feeling. I found it to be very realistic in the characters all having different trauma responses and outlooks on life after such experiences in Auschwitz.

The ending absolutely tore me apart! I was absolutely not expecting it, thinking the narrative was going to go a completely different direction. I remember only one other book leaving me with this same hollowness- the writing just leaves you feeling both empty and full of emotion. I aspire to write like that one day.

The introduction in this edition is invaluable. I do wish it had come as an epilogue or note AFTER the story, as a lot of it didn’t make sense to me having never read the story before. I went back after finishing the novel to reread the introduction and I got so much more out of it knowing the context. It’s so interesting (and heartbreaking) how this was based on a true story, and seeing all the details that were kept or changed to make the whole story was just so fascinating and valuable.

There’s not much more to say, really, other than that I absolutely love this book and highly recommend it. It’s imperative that we remember stories like this, remember this time in history as it happened.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bloomsbury USA for allowing me to read this book.

[Rebecca Tait · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

A Tale of One January is a dramatisation of a true story. In itself a fascinating & heartbreaking tale, but the story behind the story is equally interesting. Having written it in 1962, Maltz's story wasn't published in the UK until 1967 & was blacklisted in the USA. 2023 was the first year A Tale of One January was distributed in the USA.

It is the story of two women prisoners on a death march as the Germans abandon Auschwitz-Birkenau with Russian troops advancing to liberate the camp. They manage to escape & ally themselves with a group of male prisoners in the same situation. What follows is an emotional, tense, darkly humorous & often hopeful journey to freedom. It is starkly matter of fact in telling of the horrors faced in the concentration camps & beautiful in their reminiscences of life before the war.

I've been studying World War Two these last couple of months & in contrast to the horrifying facts & figures this story brings in a much more human element. The fact that the story & pieces used within the writing are all true brought a lump to my throat on numerous occasions. If you have any interest in this period, I can not recommend this highly enough. The audio is really well produced & the musical accompaniments worked well within the piece.

[None Ofyourbusiness Loves Israel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Six souls, each bearing the scars of a monstrous regime, find themselves united by a twist of fate. Poland, 1945. The final death marches of Auschwitz cough up Lini, Claire, Otto, Jurek, Andrej, and Norbert, a testament to human resilience found in a hidden haystack. The specter of freedom beckons, leading them through a wintry wilderness to a desolate factory on the fringes of civilization.

Though their languages may differ and their pasts hold untold horrors, a fragile camaraderie blossoms. Meals are shared, stories are whispered, and a sliver of hope, long extinguished, begins to flicker. The chilling bite of winter is no match for the warmth of shared memories and nascent bonds. Here, in the ruins of an abandoned brick factory, a makeshift family is born.

A simple act - a frigid bath - becomes a ritual of rebirth. The icy water washes away not just the grime of the camps, but the suffocating grip of despair. Even the mundane rediscovers its magic - a shared meal, a tiny mirror, a sliver of sunlight filtering through a broken window. Slowly, piece by piece, they reclaim the humanity stolen by their tormentors, turning ashes into embers.

Maltz, a voice silenced by political persecution, finds his song in this testament to resilience. Inspired by a survivor's tale, he crafts a poignant tapestry of human connection in the face of unspeakable tragedy. This remarkable book transcends fiction, becoming a beacon of hope, reminding us that even in the darkest corners, the human spirit endures, a testament to the unsilenced.

[Quinnell Flanagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

devastatingly beautiful

[Ramona Thompson · Rating 1 out of 5]

There are many heart wrenching stories about the Holocaust and this was not one of them. Not enough information about anyone to really care about them. For a recent one try To Die Beautiful or The Golden Doves. I received and arc from NetGalley and was under no pressure for a positive review. Ramona Thompson

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Tale of One January is brilliant--insightful and even playful about a difficult subject. The author creates a world that lasted only a few days and less than 200 pages, but his characters are complex. The ending was a shock, and this book was an amazing read.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

The war novel is a source of endless fascination for me. I’ve read many at this point, both fiction and nonfiction, and they never cease to stir my curiosity. I’m not interested in guns or cannons, tactics or corps — I’m interested in the people, both good and evil. Primary sourced accounts from the war years are ripe with intrigue; motivation, desperation, terror, and hope align to draw intricate pictures of the human experience.

A Tale of One January, first published in 1966 by Albert Maltz — who was blacklisted in America during McCarthyism — focuses on an often ignored moment in World War Two histories, or at least moments that are relegated to an epilogue. Mainly, what happened in the immediate moments after liberation.

The story focuses on two women and four men, all prisoners of Auschwitz, all of whom have escaped the death marches of January 1945. They band together in a farmstead and, for the first time in years, they are able to revel in the prospect of getting to continue their lives in freedom. At first, they’re too consumed by the trauma they’ve endured to even imagine what freedom could entail, but gradually they begin to see beyond into their futures.

It’s a unique novel in that these initial moments of freedom are rarely recounted in fiction. Liberation by Russian or American soldiers in the camps often marks the end of the book. These individuals were not liberated—they escaped and sought freedom for themselves in the wilderness. They imagined they would succeed; that prospect of survival is fascinating to explore. And Maltz does justice by it.

I’d never heard of Maltz, only stumbling upon this book at Black Squirrel — a secondhand bookshop. But this book surely reinvigorated my appreciation for this genre and its possibilities. War novels can often be repetitive and contrite, playing the same scenarios over and over again ad nauseam. Yet, A Tale of One January is refreshing, insightful, and poignant in its exploration of the endurance of the human spirit.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply put, it was an honor to read this book. It is not just another Holocaust novel because of who the author is. Albert Maltz was the son of Russian-Jewish immigrants, a novelist, playwright, and successful Hollywood screenwriter. Because he refused to cooperate with the infamous House Un-American Activities Committee, he was blacklisted at the height of his career, fined, and imprisoned for a year. This novel was completed in 1962 but no American publisher would touch it for fear of reprisal by the Committee. It is just being released for the first time in the United States.

"What was it about the human heart that made it need hope as the body needed water," thought Claire.

This story is based on a real Auschwitz survivor, a woman who escaped during the final Nazi death march at the end of the war. It only covers a couple of days but the poignancy of the simple pleasures these former prisoners find in freedom will touch your soul. The joy of finally bathing, if only with a small bucket of ice-cold water and no soap after years of degrading filth in the camps. The men & women are constantly drawn to a single window, to view without bars, a landscape free of barbed wire. These small acts give them back their humanity. Reading this book is fighting back against censorship which has once again raised its ugly head with books being across America. I encourage everyone to read this extraordinary book.

I am grateful to NetGalley & Calder Publications for the opportunity to read the ARC and I will be purchasing copies when it's released on 7/23/2023.

[Ira Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Tale of One January is finally appearing in the US. The author, Albert Maltz, was a leftist who refused to cooperate with the House Un-American Committee and was blacklisted, so no US publisher would touch the book when it was completed in 1962. it was eventually published in the UK in 1967, and the publisher is finally issuing the book here in the US.

Based on the narrative of a Jewish Ukranian woman who escaped the death march from Auschwitz along with a female friend, it relates the story of the escape itself, and how the two survived along with four male escapees. It's not a tale of the camps but the story of their adjusting to freedom., and dealing with growing physical attraction between the sexes. The narrative is simply told but is powerful nonetheless.

An excellent contribution to Holocaust literature, A Tale of One January is highly recommended.

My thanks to Calder Publications and to Netgalley from providing an ARC of this book.

[ManOfLaBook.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

For more bookish posts please visit https://www.ManOfLaBook.com

A Tale of One January by Albert Maltz is a historical-fiction story of two women who escaped from a Nazi death March in January, 1945. Mr. Maltz was a playwright, screenwriter, and author. He was one of the Hollywood Ten jailed to refuse to testify before Congress about the Communist Party.

Lini, a Dutch Jew; and Claire, a blonde French anti-fascist who is working as a translator for the SS in Auschwitz, manage to escape during the Death march from their Nazi captures. The two friends have helped each other survive in the concentration camp.

The two meet four men who help them survive the winter and the retreating German army. The four are Norbert, a German; Jurek, a Pole; Otto, an Austrian, and a Russian POW, Andrey. The men are political prisoners (except Andrey) and are not Jewish.

The author was living in Mexico City, as he was blacklisted in the United States. in 1960 he met Dounia Wasserstrom, a French woman and political prisoner, who worked as an SS interpreter in Auschwitz. When the Russian Army was advancing on the camp, the prisoners where being marched to an unknown destination. This is when Mrs. Wasserstrom and her friend made their escape.

Mrs. Wasserstrom, a Ukrainian Jew, testified against the Auschwitz SS men in Frankfurt. Part of her testimony was used in The Investigation, a play by Peter Weiss.

This book was first published in 1967, but only in England, as American publishers wouldn’t agree to publish it.

This is a short book, and I honestly thought it was translated as some of the narrative is clunky. I soon figured out that A Tale of One January by Albert Maltz is written in a way to mimic Eastern European accents.

It was refreshing to read Holocaust literature which isn’t blatantly attempting to squeeze tears out of the reader. It was equally as refreshing to read an actual historical-fiction, as oppose to fiction which takes place in the past.

An interesting aspect of the book is how the things which are taken for granted, are viewed as luxuries after a time spent in hell. An ice bath, for example, is not just a pleasure, but helps the protagonists become human, scraping the filth of the consternation camp off of them.

Small acts of kindness by a local farmer, and other acts by the prisoners themselves, slowly give them their humanity back. There’s a lot to this short book, and that’s not even considering its historical significance.

[M Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

A shorter story that packs quite the punch. I was more impressed with this story once I heard the notes about the author and this manuscript in particular. I really enjoyed getting a glimpse into a different aspect of WW2 - after escape but before freedom. This story gave life to prisoners of war coming back into themselves...especially women rediscovering their femininity after being stripped of all dignity. I recommend but know there are some tough parts that might be triggering.

Thanks to Librofm and Naxos Audiobooks for this complimentary audiobook. My thoughts are my own.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Based on a true story, this is not so much about Auschwitz as it Is about the euphoria of escape and the sudden realization of freedom. Two women and four men find themselves sharing space and contemplating both the past and their futures, It's subtle, chilling, and hopeful all at once, It's also long delayed from publication in the US- which is a shame. Thanks to Netgalley for the ArC, A good read.

[Suzan Ball · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Tale of One January

This novel is not for children, and neither is it for the faint-hearted. A group of men and women escape from a death march after they leave a Nazi concentration camp. They feel great joy at their freedom, terror at the prospect of being found, anger at the Nazis, extreme stress, lust, camaraderie and many other emotions in a short time, as they hid in a nearby abandoned building, getting food from a local sympathizer.

The shocking conclusion will haunt the reader.

[Ray Hubley · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding achievement, Maltz's book (dare we say novella?) stands with the very best of world war II fiction -- Anna Seghers, Alfred Hayes, Cesare Pavese notwithstanding. Based on a true story related to the Hollywood blacklisted Maltz by a Auschwitz survivor and written with commanding immediacy.

[Cathe Fein Olson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow--what a riveting, heart-breaking book about five escapees from the Auschwitz death march find each other and try to survive. Such personal stories highlighting both the physical and mental effects for the Holocaust.

[Kate Cartwright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book based on a true story

[Karina · Rating 2 out of 5]

it's next to impossible to rate a story about Auschwitz, but this one isn't good.

[Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. Don't expect a typical story of the Holocaust. This one is different, but so interesting.

[JoB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harrowing, heartfelt, and short

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

A moving, beautifully written story of the Holocaust. The novel is based on Albert Maltz's personal interviews with a Ukrainian Jewish woman, born in Zhytomyr, who escaped from the Auschwitz concentration camp in January 1945. It was published in Great Britain in 1967, but until now it has not available in the United States.

This new edition should be celebrated; A Tale of One January is a brave and powerful book.

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short read, but powerful. Definitely one I'll continue to think about for a while. I think everyone needs to read about the Holocaust and maybe, just maybe it'll help prevent something like this from happening again. The ending of the book though -oof. Right in the feels.