I picked this book out for the Bridge Street Book Club when I was deep in a re-watch of HBO’s Chernobyl. It’s an interesting book to be sure, and while it doesn’t quite live up to its promise, we had a spectacular book club discussion and I highly recommend it for other book clubs!
Synopsis
From the publisher marketing:
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?
Math isn’t about memorizing. It’s about knowing, knowing the language.” She looked at a billboard advertising a pawnshop. A car sped past. “Teachers shouldn’t quiz kids on multiplication tables.” Numbers weren’t something to regurgitate. They were a way to communicate and describe what was happening in the world around them. “Memorizing defeats the whole purpose.”
Time, Family, and the Weight of Redemption
Rachel Berenbaum’s Atomic Anna spins an intricate web of time travel, generational trauma, and the tangled bonds of family. It’s a bold undertaking, blending science fiction with deeply emotional storytelling, and while the novel doesn’t always stick the landing, its ambition is undeniable.
At the heart of Atomic Anna are three generations of women—Anna, Molly, and Raisa—connected by a shared legacy of pain and resilience. Time travel serves as the narrative’s backbone, but this isn’t a fast-paced sci-fi adventure. Instead, the time-hopping is more of a metaphorical vehicle, allowing Berenbaum to peel back the layers of her characters and explore how the past shapes the present. It’s an intriguing concept, though the execution doesn’t always do justice to the book’s lofty aspirations. Pacing issues crop up, with certain sections dragging and others feeling rushed, making it hard to stay fully immersed in the story.
Still, there’s no denying that Raisa is the beating heart of this novel. Her journey—from a complicated childhood to her romance with the ever-steady Daniel—is the emotional core that keeps the story grounded. Their relationship is a refreshing highlight: a healthy, mutual partnership that feels like a warm hug amid the chaos of the other storylines.
Other characters, like Yulia and Lazar, also shine in their own way. Their redemption arc adds layers of humanity to the narrative, as they wrestle with their past mistakes and try to make things right with Anna’s daughter and granddaughter. It’s a testament to the novel’s exploration of second chances—messy, imperfect, but deeply human.
Anna, on the other hand, is harder to connect with. Her motivations often feel murky, and her actions leave you more puzzled than empathetic. While her daughter, Molly, has glimpses of redemption, Anna never fully earns the reader’s trust, making her arc the most frustrating of the three.
What Atomic Anna does exceptionally well is its creative incorporation of a graphic novel thread. This unique storytelling device weaves a visual dimension into the narrative, serving as a bridge between generations and a poignant reminder of how stories transcend time. It’s an imaginative touch that enriches the novel’s exploration of memory, history, and legacy.
Unfortunately, not all character arcs are handled with the same finesse. Anna’s partner and Molly’s father, Yasha’s, abrupt transformation near the end feels jarring and unearned, pulling you out of the story just when it should be hitting its emotional peak. It’s a misstep in an otherwise thoughtful narrative.
In the end, Atomic Anna is a book that swings for the fences—and while it doesn’t always connect, it still delivers moments of brilliance. Raisa’s journey stands out as a shining example of authenticity and emotional depth, anchoring the novel’s more uneven elements. If you’re drawn to stories that intertwine time, love, and redemption, this book offers a creative, if imperfect, exploration of what it means to rewrite the past and heal the future.
Rating: 6 out of 10
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