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.