Valentina is a young Jewish girl living in Pripyat. Even though her family do not follow the traditions of their religion Valentina has experienced terrible bullying at school especially from one girl in her class who also, by chance, lives in the same building. Oksana has been told every day of her life not to trust Jews. Her father who works at the Chernobyl power plant blames Valentina's father for a missed promotion. Neither girl could possibly anticipate that today April 26th, 1986 would be the day of the worst nuclear accident in history.
Here are some text quotes to give you a flavour of this book:
"Outside the air tasted of metal, not the wild roses and cut grass Valentina was used to. No fire should smell like this she thought."
"Every child in Pripyat knew about radiation poisoning. It was a sickness you could catch from working with nuclear power. Thankfully, it was easily cured. All you had to do was drink milk or mineral water and eat plenty of cucumbers, and you'd be well in a day or two."
When I read this I gasped. Oksana's mother has been working on the rooftop garden on the day of the disaster and she has been exposed to the nuclear fall out. Later Oksaya learns her father is now dead. Valentina's father is desperately ill in hospital. Valentina and her mother manage to visit her him but in doing so her mother is also exposed to dangerous levels of radiation. When they return from the hospital:
"She and mother had each taken a shower, and then Mama had thrown the clothes they had been wearing into the corridor as well. Now she dropped two tablets each into a glass of water. They quickly dissolved. Valentina knew what they were: Papa had bought iodine tables when he's begun working at the power station. Just in case ... "
It is now vital to get the two girls out of the city. The authorities have told everyone to evacuate immediately. But train ticket sales are limited and only two can be bought. Valentina's mother says she will stay behind Valentina and Oksaka must travel to Lenningrad.
The story of Valentina, Oksana and Rita are told through alternating voices. It is 1986 for Valentina and Oksana and 1941 for Rita. Readers need to discover Rita's story from the past because her story set during the war links in unexpected ways with the experiences of the two young girls who now in her care.
Listen to this audio sample from Chapter One.
Blankman spins a stunningly complex tale out of simple words. Kirkus Star review
Blackbird Girls has been on my "to read" list for a long time. I was waiting for the release of a paperback copy but in the end I decided I just couldn't wait. When I spied this in a city bookstore with a discounted price I knew it was time to buy this book. Here in Australia the hardcover edition of this book is nearly $30. I do remember the Chernobyl nuclear disaster but beyond some basic facts I guess I had not given much thought to the lives of the Ukrainian people living in the nearby towns such as Pripyat. This book also gave me some idea about life in communist Russia and the constant fear experienced by the people at this time. The final pages of this book also give readers background information about this time in history and also details of Anne Blankman's connection with a Chernobyl child survivor.
I highly recommend The Blackbird Girls BUT I do need to give a warning. This book contains violent episodes of child abuse and so I would say it is suitable for mature readers aged 12 or 13+.
You might also like to look for Letters from Rifka.
I also read this one many years ago:
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