Moscow, 1939. In the recesses of the infamous Lubyanka prison, a young archivist is sent to authenticate an unsigned story confiscated from one of the many political prisoners there. The writer is Isaac Babel. The great author of Red Cavalry is spending his last days forbidden to write, his final manuscripts consigned to the archivist, Pavel Dubrov, who will ultimately be charged with destroying them. The emotional jolt of meeting Babel face-to-face leads to a reckless decision: he will save the last stories of the author he reveres, whatever the cost.

From the margins of history, Travis Holland has woven a tale of the greatest power. Pavel’s private act of courage in the face of a vast bureaucracy of evil invigorates a life that had lost its meaning, even as it guarantees his almost certain undoing. A story of suspense, courage, and unexpected avenues of grace, The Archivist’s Story is ultimately an enduring tribute to the written word.

From the Hardcover edition.

特拉維斯·霍蘭（Travis Holland） 美國小說傢，兩項霍普伍德奬得主。其作品常見於《閃光列車》（Glimmer Train）、《五點》(Five Points)、《犁刃》(Ploughshares)等。本書為他的第一部小說，當年便位列英國《衛報》年度圖書、英國《都市報》最佳小說、英國《金融時報》年度最佳圖書、美國《齣版商周刊》年度最佳圖書榜單之上，並獲得美國巴諾書店“發現新人奬”（2007年）、VCU Cabell最佳小說傢奬（2008年），入圍國際IMPAC都柏林文學奬（2009年）。

譯者簡介：

楊晉 上海師範大學外國語學院講師，研究方嚮為美國戲劇、文化及翻譯。譯著有《戲謔》（閤譯）、《聚焦》、《莎拉的禮物》等。