Mala's Cat

I read Mala's Cat by Mala Kacenberg for the virtual YA book club I'm in. It is a memoir of the author's survival as a Jewish child during WWII. The book description reads, "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 reduced to starvation. She takes matters into her own hands and bravely removes her yellow star, risking sneaking 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 hostile villagers. 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 and her only respite from painful loneliness, a guide, and a reminder to stay hopeful even when faced with unfathomable darkness."

This was a really nice read. Mala was an unbelievably brave child, and I am so glad she wrote down her story. She really survived miraculously so many times. This wasn't a book that was written like a typical novel or even biography but instead just sounded like a real person writing and telling her incredible story. The book kept me interested throughout and was inspiring and hopeful despite the many horrors Mala had to witness. I think in some ways it was a gentler Holocaust book than some, just in how the author told the story, so I think my sensitive 12-year-old could maybe be ok with it.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)