The Sky Unwashed

This is a novel of Chernobyl. I read it a few weeks ago, but it is eerily pertinent as the current events in Japan unfold. For example, the news from Japan said that those exposed were being given iodine pills to protect against radiation absorption. In this book, the villagers were also supplied with iodine pills and told that if they took the pills they would be all right.

The book is narrated by Marusia, an elderly woman who lived in a small village near Chernobyl. Her son and daughter-in-law live with her, and work at the plant. One Saturday night the villagers hear what sounds like an explosion. Marusia's son and other workers fail to return from their overnight shifts.

After a period of confusion and misinformation, the villagers show more are evacuated for what they are told will be "a few days." The few days turns into a few years, during which Marusia is shifted from place to place, with little to eat and no compensation. She then decides to return to her village home, even though it is in the "forbidden" zone.

The heart of the book is Marusia's life in the deserted village, at first alone, but then with several other "babushkas" who gradually return to their homes--because they have no other place to go.

This book is humorous, despite the deadly subject, and is poignant. The characters come alive. I highly recommend this book. show less

3.5 Stars

The Sky Unwashed by Irene Zabytbo was an interesting read which told the story of Marusia Petrenko and her family who live on a small farm in the Ukraine and how on an April Saturday Morning in 1986 her life and the lives of her family and neighbours is changed forever by the horrors of the Chernobyl accident and the disturbing way in which the government mislead the people.

This is fictitious account of the Chernobyl disaster which made the word sit up and take notice as we all waited and wondered what if? How will this affect us? but while we were safe the people of Chernobyl were frantically trying to come to terms with the reality of the situation.

I enjoyed the book and really did get a feel for the people who lived in show more this part of the country and their traditions. I enjoyed reading how the older women lived their life's and watched as the younger women pushed the boundaries with their desperate attempts to dye their hair and take on the looks of pop stars of the day. I was amazed at the consumption of alcohol by workers at the plant and by people on a daily basis.
I learned so much from this book but this is not a happy story and there is so much sadness.
I found the following passage so disturbing,

Because abortion was the only available birth control in soviet Union, Zosia had not mourned her four past abortions. She knew women who had had twelve or fifteen and she expected as many for herself.

This is a story of a people who struggle to survive and who want to just get back to normal after this terrible disaster and who have no idea the effects for years to come they will have to deal with.

The only downside of the novel for me was the lack of information about the actual disaster and I was looking for facts and figures that this book did not give me. Having said that I did enjoy this book and felt I learned something from it. show less

I gave this book four stars, despite the pedestrian writing, because it manages to be a feel-good book even in the face of government lies, cheating spouses, radiation sickness, starvation and death. Like Faulkner's people, these villagers endured. Not just endured -- enjoyed the paltry slice of life left to them.

Based on fact, this is a remarkable tale of the Chernobyl nuclear explosion that took place in April, 1986. The story is told through the eyes of Marusia Petrenko. Her son and daughter-in-law work at the plant. However, her son was working the night of the explosion. Everything changes after that as the government forces everyone to evacuate and then provides nothing for their survival. Marsupial and four other elders decide to defy the government and return to her home to die. Poignant...

This book was okay, though not quite as enjoyable as the last few I have read this summer. It's an easy read, but I found that the characters were not completely developed and the incident of Chernobyl was not fully explored. It was a snapshot of a family, with a wider lense on the community, and an even foggier view of the reach of the disaster, the government's denial of the severity and the long term effects on the country. Like I said, it was a nice summer novel, but it fell short of my expectations.

About the disaster at Chernobyl. Competent writing. Compelling, to say the least, situation. Interesting juxtaposition between the old mother-in-law and the girl.

With all the recent talk about Chernobyl with the anniversary coming up next month and all that's going on in Japan right now, I thought about this book and how much I enjoyed it (if "enjoyed" is the right word for it). I think I might pick it up again.