Goodreads Ireland discussion

Finished this book yesterday and thanks to Barbara for recommending. This is my review, which sums up why I enjoyed it.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

I was almost 15 when the disaster occured and I remember, we had two little boys who visited our house for an afternoon in 86/87 - they were displaced because of the Chernobly disaster and an Irish charity had arranged for kids to have a break away for a couple of weeks in Kerry. I wish I had paid more attention to them, didn't realise what they had been through ... they couldn't speak any English but they stared in awe at the fruit basket and took a bagful away with them. They also enjoyed playing with our dog but otherwise very quiet, serious and gaunt.

I also remember my Dad saying we weren't eating anymore pickled Gerkins from Hungary / Czech Republic or any other tinned food we occasionally bought from there eg red cabbage. We all rolled our eyes at my Dad being so extreme but I guess he was right ....!!!

Probably, I assume there aren't too many Irish charities involved. Yes, terrible on-going issues and I thought McKeon's essay at the end of the book on his visit to Chernobly was a good way to wrap up - it showed how so many children and generations will suffer the consequences.

Interesting, that he mentioned the radiation leads to a lowered immune system, making people more susceptible to all kinds of illnesses - links in nicely to our monthly read 'Station Eleven' and why so plausible!!

Emma wrote: "Your mention of your memories of it and the kids coming to visit Tara makes me wonder something. Chernobyl is something in Ireland we've all been very familiar with, through the work of charities l..."

I knew Ukranians who of course were very very suspicious of the Soviets and said they were concealing things. I didn't know how much to believe them but this book made me realize it was every bit as bad and maybe worse.

I've almost finished this book and for me it wasn't as good as I thought it would be. I found it interesting but at the same time I'm not sure how accurate it is. I was talking to a friend who is Ukranian and she seemed to think that fiction generally made things seem worse than then they actually are.

I'm not sure if I like the way the way book is ending yet. I'm also finding it a bit all over the place as well. Maybe it would have been better if it had focused more on the people affected by chernobyl. I'm just find the end very bitsy.

Finished this yesterday and I wasn't blown away by it. I'm familiar with everything that happened with chernobyl. Like Tara, my uncle had a young girl visit every year for the summer in order for her to live in a place with clear air and foods and they went on to adopt her once she turned 18. The laws wouldn't allow it before that time.
I felt the book would have been better if he had focused on the damage that was done, by telling the doctors story or the young boys story with the dog. But because he was trying to show as many angles as possible in the book, I think it fell short.
I was disappointed because it had received so many great reviews but those are the books that generally can let you down

I thought the first 95% of the book was excellent. I enjoyed the different stories and how they came together. The end seemed a bit rushed, I'd give it a 4 out of 5.

I found the novel interesting but did not like the way the novel rushed 25 years into the future and told us what happen to some of the main characters but not all such as Artyom or his mother or even his dog..I can imagine that it wasn't good but in this case I would have liked some closure.