Chernobyl, Life, and Other Disasters - by Yevgenia Nayberg

About the Book

"A graphic memoir of Yevgenia Nayberg's childhood as an aspiring artist in a Jewish family in 1980's Soviet Ukraine, before and after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

Strong-willed Genya sets her mind to attending art school in 1980s Ukraine, amidst the turmoil of Soviet control, the Cold War, and the unfolding Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

Genya--the nickname of the book's author and story's protagonist, Yevgenia--knows from age five that she wants to be an artist. When she turns eleven, she'll apply to the same prestigious art school that her mother attended. But making the cut won't be easy, especially with the school's open-secret rule that no more than 1% of the student body can be Jewish.

The years before Genya's eleventh birthday bring plenty to distract her. Nothing in Soviet Ukraine is quite as it seems; adults mock the government, but only in private; and her classmates are terrified of American bomb strikes. And that's all before April 26, 1986, when Genya's police officer neighbor gets called to an emergency in a town she's never heard of: Chernobyl.

A graphic memoir account of creator Yevgenia Nayberg's childhood, Chernobyl, Life, and Other Disasters is both deeply personal and a glimpse into broader Soviet intelligentsia experiences. Young readers curious about life elsewhere, particularly in the face of disaster, will find ample details to devour, while those dreaming of a creative life will take inspiration from Genya's perseverance. Salient and yet often slyly funny, this is a must-read for any graphic memoir fan.

Review Quotes

Nayberg's watercolor and collage art brilliantly mirrors Genya's emotional landscape. . . . Nayberg's depictions of her mother . . . and of friend dynamics feel wholly authentic, while the portrayal of Soviet-era antisemitism, environmental catastrophe, and casual cruelties never overwhelms the intimate story of a girl finding her voice through art amid chaos. An utterly unforgettable, achingly honest, and spectacularly crafted graphic memoir.
--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)`

Nayberg's art makes subtle but striking growth as the book progresses. . . . A strong and beautifully rendered addition to graphic memoir and nonfiction middle grade collections.
--School Library Journal

The rare and artful sort of story that finds the brilliant in the banal, the hilarious in the harrowing, and universal in the personal.
--Daniel Nayeri, award-winning Author of Everything Sad Is Untrue

Yevgenia Nayberg shares the charming adventure of her life during one of the most interesting periods of our world's history with moments of humor, melancholy, and beautiful honesty. I absolutely adored this book.
--Dan Santat, National Book Award-winning author of A First Time for Everything

Nayberg's younger self longs to be a professional artist. Chernobyl, Life, and Other Disasters makes it clear that she reached her goal--with a gorgeously illustrated graphic novel about growing up under the shadow the Chernobyl disaster, deeply empathic and bursting with humor and personality. I loved it so. Genya is an artist to be reckoned with.
--New York Times-bestselling author-illustrator Lisa Brown

This middle grade graphic memoir never loses sight of the kid at its heart. At once singular and universal, Chernobyl, Life, and Other Disasters powerfully demonstrates that there's nothing quite like the fallout--of being eleven years old.
--Joshua S. Levy, National Jewish Book Award-winning author of Finn and Ezra's Bar Mitzvah Time Loop

Yevgenia Nayberg's Chernobyl, Life, and Other Disasters focuses on one specific part of a young person's life, yet deftly weaves in current events and family dynamics. The book is full of magic--the writing and drawing seems almost dreamlike, but anecdotes and sequences are carefully arranged to fall right into place. The color palette is muted but still somehow lively, with sketchier illustrations alongside more fully rendered art. To top it all off, the book made me laugh, especially with the constant theme of the word 'banal.' Bravo, Genya!
--Malaka Gharib, journalist and Arab American Book Award-winning author of I Was Their American Dream

About the Author

Yevgenia Nayberg is an award-winning illustrator, painter, and set and costume designer. She has received multiple awards for her picture book illustrations, including a Sydney Taylor Honor and two notable recognitions. She is the author and illustrator of the picture books A Party for Florine, Anya's Secret Society, Typewriter, Mona Lisa In New York, and I Hate Borsch!, and the illustrator of Drop by Drop by Jacqueline Jules, among other collaborations. Born and raised in Kyiv, Ukraine, she now lives in New York City.