The Archivist's Story

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The Archivist's Story: A Novel

Author: Travis Holland
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Publisher: The Dial Press
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.

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“It is a small matter that brings them together.”

Holland’s arresting debut concerns the writer Isaac Babel, languishing in the infamous Lubyanka prison and prohibited from writing again, and a young archivist, Pavel Dubov. “The small matter” that occasions their meeting in 1939 is a newly confiscated manuscript that the archivist is hired to authenticate and ultimately, destroy. Pavel, a former teacher of Russian literature, is nearly felled by the irony of his task when he realizes it is indeed Babel’s work. But the threatening atmosphere of Stalin’s purges allows for little hesitation and no dissent.

After a wrenching meeting with Babel, Pavel makes a reckless—yet for him—inevitable decision. He tucks Babel’s pages under his shirt and leaves the archives. Keenly aware that this impulsive act may well be his last, Pavel hides the work, ensuring a renewed sense of meaning and purpose far more essential than his own safety.

Entwining historical facts with a suspenseful narrative, The Archivist’s Story is a novel of indelible images and unforgettable courage. Though Pavel’s small act of bravery may seal his fate, it is of little consequence if he can save a few words by a man who has endured no gentle silencing. Holland’s first novel is a vivid and profound affirmation of the written word.

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