Valentina and Oksana have never been friends. In fact, Oksana has often tormented Valentina for her Jewish heritage even though her family is not religious. The one thing they have in common is both of their fathers work at Chernobyl, the nuclear power plant in their town.
In 1986, disaster strikes, and Chernobyl explodes, the two girls find themselves together on a journey across Russia to stay with Valentina's grandmother, a woman she's never met before. Both girls are grieving, but they will need to overcome their dislike of each other to survive. Oksana has always been taught Jews are dirty cheats. Now this Jewish girl is her only hope. Valentina only sees Oksana as a spoiled rich girl, but there are painful secrets in her family.
In 1941, Rifka is on her own fleeing the German invasion. She must hide her Jewish identity because Russians and Germans alike will kill her for it. Leaving her mother and younger brothers behind is the hardest thing she's ever done, but she will discover new strength as she journeys across Russia in search of safety.
The girls in both time periods must learn how to trust and find hope in the darkest moments of their lives.
Anne Blankman's novel of resilience links two disasters of the past, the German invasion of Russia and the Chernobyl explosion, with skill and Grace. This is a powerful novel of friendship that will appeal to many readers. Highly recommended.
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