BOOK REVIEW: A fictional account of survival (04/22/01)

CHORNOBYL: THE FIFTEENTH ANNIVERSARY

BOOK REVIEW: A fictional account of survival

"The Sky Unwashed" by Irene Zabytko. Chapel Hill, N.C.: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2000. 263 pp., $22.95 (hardcover).

by Wolodymyr T. Zyla

Reading Irene Zabytko's "The Sky Unwashed" is like viewing a slide show as images flash before our eyes and we watch closely, fascinated. But, as fascinated as we are by the frequently changing images on the screen, we also occasionally wish that we could move closer and slow down the pace of the projector, learn more about each slide, and make connections between the images. The novel thus captivates the reader and is well worth reading. Indeed, it is hard to believe that "The Sky Unwashed" is Irene Zabytko's first book.

The novel starts with a portrayal of life in a small Ukrainian village, the factional Starylis, on the outskirts of Chornobyl, which will be etched forever into human history. It is the scene of a man-made disaster - the full implications of which are still not known. Exactly what happened on April 26, 1986, for some time remained a mystery, but when the Soviet Union broke apart in 1991, the people of Ukraine were free to talk about what they knew.

The horror of the Chornobyl accident and the mishandling of the situation by the Soviet government were disturbing. There was considerable speculation about the levels of radiation, the number of deaths and the severity of other effects. What areas needed to be evacuated, and what levels of radiation were acceptable for human habitation?

Being close to the plant, the village of Starylis was deeply contaminated and for that reason the Soviet government announced an evacuation, promising "Don't worry, you will be compensated. You will be back in a few days." But this never happened.

On the contrary, strict orders were issued that the evacuees were not allowed to go outside the hospital because they "could infect Kyiv." In the meantime, hundreds of children of Soviet officials were leaving Kyiv because of radiation.

Marusia, the main character of the novel, whose grandchildren had already left for Moscow and whose son Yurko died from radiation, decided that she had no other alternative than to return to the contaminated Starylis. The problem was money for a train ticket. She waited in line all night and registered again as a new evacuee at the hospital. They gave her a new blanket, a pillow and six rubles.

Getting to Starylis was not easy; no one wanted to help Marusia. They called her crazy and told her that "nobody goes there anymore." But she got there, despite physical ailments. When her physical misery subsided, she was plagued by loneliness.

Alone in this deserted place, Marusia struggled up into the church belltower to ring the bells twice every day, just in case someone else had returned. And the "babusi" did - one by one. Soon the village grew into a small community of 15 people.

Most interesting and tragic was the last day of Marusia's life. The author sets the scene: air was dry and the sun's scorching rays shone down. It was so dry that even the animals' tongues hung from their mouths twitching for invisible water.

The author ends the novel by sadly saying: "Now that her prayers were answered, her knowledge complete, her last breath coupled with the still air."

The characters of the novel are fascinating - especially the tenacious old women, "babusi," who endure so much hardship in their lives. Their strength shines through as they perceive radiation poisoning as just another hurdle of their lives that must be overcome.

Marusia dominates the narrative from the beginning to the end. She is pious, sincere and courageous; she defies the Soviet regime on many occasions. She is a widow, a dedicated mother and a grandmother who loves her family.

The novel itself is shocking, clever, ironic and in some cases heart-breaking. Mrs. Zabytko is a very capable writer who reproduces with great ingenuity the small isolated tragedies that lie at the core of the novel and are a significant part of this work.

"The Sky Unwashed," without a doubt, is a unique piece of art in which the legacy of Chornobyl will live forever, despite the closure of the infamous atomic energy station.

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