Summary: On a spring morning in 1986, neighbors Valentina Kaplan and Oksana Savchenko wake up to an angry red sky. A reactor at the nuclear power plant where their fathers work--Chernobyl--has exploded. Before they know it, the two girls, who've always been enemies, find themselves on a train bound for Leningrad to stay with Valentina's estranged grandmother, Rita Grigorievna.
In 1941 Rifka must flee Kiev before the Germans arrive. Her journey is harrowing and fraught with danger because Germans and Russians alike will revile her for her Jewish blood.
In both time periods, the girls must learn who to trust and how to have hope in the midst of horrible events.
My Review: My rating: 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Anne Blankman is a magician. I don't think I've read that many other books that had so much sadness and hope at the same time. I rarely ever cry over books, and I can count the number of books I've ever cried over on one hand, but this is brought tears to my eyes at least three times(and not just at the sad parts!) I loved reading about Oskana's and Valentina's friendship and how they changed and grew from the start to end, especially since their friendship was so unexpected. Having their perspectives layered in with Rifka's story during World War II was a the decision that both surprised me and intrigued me, because I was interested finding out how it tied in and it just added so much more meaning to the novel. If I ever hear anyone say that middle grade historical fiction can't be as good as adult fiction, I'll give them this book.
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