Mala Kacenberg

malas-cat

About us

About Us (Header 4)

Kate-Atkinson

James-Baldwin

Marian-Keyes

haruki-murakami-320×320-1

Richard-Osman

Malorie Blackman

Lisa-Jewell

Charlie-Mackesy

Authors (Header 3)

Children&#039;s

Company

Discover

Fiction

Non-fiction

Penguin Classics

Penguin Shop (Header 5)

Useful links

Work with us

Mala's Cat

Browse bundles, merchandise and discounts at the Penguin Shop

A remarkable tale of survival, in which Jewish life in pre-war Poland and the atrocities of the Holocaust appear through an almost dreamlike lens of childhood memory

Jeremy Dronfield, bestselling author of The Boy Who Followed His Father into Auschwitz

This book has a unique spiritual richness

Mala's Cat is fresh, unsentimental and utterly unpredictable... This memoir, rescued from obscurity by the efforts of Mala Kacenberg's five children, should be read and cherished as a new, vital document of a history that must never be allowed to vanish

A haunting saga with classic potential

In this gorgeous debut, Kacenberg shares her harrowing and courageous story of surviving the Holocaust. This moving account is a welcome addition to the canon of WWII memoirs

It's an account of astounding courage and resourcefulness . . . The real miracle here is the vitality of Kacenberg's faith and determination

To read Mala's Cat is to enter a dreamscape of horrors seen through innocent eyes

The moving and unforgettable true story of one girl's survival during the Holocaust

Growing up in a Polish village on the fringes of a deep forest, Mala has a wonderful childhood. But when the German invasion reduces her loved ones to starvation, Mala takes matters into her own hands and sneaks out to find food. On her way back, she is handed a smuggled letter that reveals her family and friends have been rounded up for deportation. With only her cat, Malach for company, she must flee. 
 
Malach becomes her family, her only respite from loneliness, and a guide through unfathomable darkness. Together, they navigate forests, outwit soldiers, and, against all odds, survive.

The remarkable true story of friendship, resilience and survival against the odds 
 
'A remarkable tale of survival' Jeremy Dronfield, bestselling author of The Boy Who Followed His Father into Auschwitz 
 
'It's an account of astounding courage and resourcefulness . . . The real miracle here is the vitality of Kacenberg's faith and determination' Mail on Sunday 
__________ 
 
In a small Polish village, Mala Kacenberg grew up in the comfort of her family. Until the Nazis arrived. 
 
Her village was torn apart. Her family were murdered. And Mala had no one left. 
 
Except she wasn't alone. Her beloved cat, Malach, remained by her side. They were forced to hide in the forest. Food was impossible to find. And with German soldiers hunting them at every turn, they were never safe. 
 
Alone, they would have died. 
 
But could they somehow survive together? 
__________ 
 
This is the astonishing true story of one girl's journey through the Holocaust, and the guardian angel who gave her the strength to live. 
 
'A vital document of a history that must never be allowed to vanish' Julie Orringer for the New York Times 
 
 'To read Mala's Cat is to enter a dreamscape of horrors seen through innocent eyes' Jewish Chronicle

Mala Kacenberg (nee Szorer) was born in Tarnogrod, Poland in 1927. As World War II broke out, she had to fend for herself from the tender age of 12. Surviving by her wits, courage and the help of a guardian angel, her cat Malach, she was the sole survivor of her family. 
 
Mala immigrated to London with other Jewish refugees after the war, where she raised a large beautiful family, living long enough to be blessed with many grandchildren. She ran a small B&B, treating all her guests as part of her family.

Mala's Cat

The moving and unforgettable true story of one girl's survival during the Holocaust

Format:

Buy the book from:

About Mala Kacenberg

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter