Atomic Anna

Atomic Anna by Rachel Barenbaum, published by Grand Central Publishing in 2023, is a reprint edition comprising 464 pages. This novel presents an epic adventure that intertwines the lives of three generations of women as they navigate time travel to prevent the Chernobyl disaster and address the complexities of their familial relationships. The narrative begins with Anna Berkova, a nuclear scientist in the Soviet Union, who inadvertently tears through time during the catastrophic event, leading her to confront her estranged daughter, Molly, in 1992.
Readers will find a rich exploration of themes such as coming of age and the impact of historical events on personal lives. The story unfolds across different decades, showcasing Molly’s artistic aspirations in 1960s Philadelphia and Raisa’s mathematical prowess in the 1980s. As the characters grapple with their pasts and the potential consequences of altering history, they are challenged to consider the ethical implications of their actions. Atomic Anna delves into the intricate connections between family, time, and the choices that shape our futures.
Official synopsis Publisher
“Atomic Anna is a dazzling work of ingenuity and imagination.”―Téa Obreht,National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestselling author of Inland
From the author of A Bend in the Stars, an epic adventure as three generations of women work together and travel through time to prevent the Chernobyl disaster and right the wrongs of their past.
Three brilliant women.
Two life-changing mistakes.
One chance to reset the future.
In 1986, renowned nuclear scientist, Anna Berkova, is sleeping in her bed in the Soviet Union when Chernobyl’s reactor melts down. It’s the exact moment she tears through time–and it’s an accident. When she opens her eyes, she’s landed in 1992 only to discover Molly, her estranged daughter, shot in the chest. Molly, with her dying breath, begs Anna to go back in time and stop the disaster, to save Molly’s daughter Raisa, and put their family’s future on a better path.
In ’60s Philadelphia, Molly is coming of age as an adopted refusenik. Her family is full of secrets and a past they won’t share. She finds solace in comic books, drawing her own series, Atomic Anna, and she’s determined to make it as an artist. When she meets the volatile, charismatic Viktor, their romance sets her life on a very different course.
In the ’80s, Raisa, is a lonely teen and math prodigy, until a quiet, handsome boy moves in across the street and an odd old woman shows up claiming to be her biological grandmother. As Raisa finds new issues of Atomic Anna in unexpected places, she notices each comic challenges her to solve equations leading to one impossible conclusion: time travel. And she finally understands what she has to do.
As these remarkable women work together to prevent the greatest nuclear disaster of the 20th century, they grapple with the power their discoveries hold. Just because you can change the past, does it mean you should?
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