A Long Day in a Short Life

Albert Maltz’s novel captures the racial tension of America and the failure

of the American dream. As time ticks along with indifference, the inmates

of Washington’s District Jail now spend their lives numbed by a daily

routine behind bars, shut out of society. Each prisoner has a story: some

are charged with assault, murder and manslaughter, others with forgery,

robbery and larceny; others still were simply born to certain parents at a

certain time in a certain country. A Long Day in a Short Life, first published

in 1957 and written after Maltz’s own experience of a federal prison, is a

powerful indictment of the penal system and a strong reminder about the

underlying humanity of each individual.

Please be advised that this audiobook contains language that some may find offensive.