“Poignant and inspiring…Zabytko’s riveting first novel explores the aftermath of the 1986 nuclear explosion in Chernobyl through the lives of inhabitants of a tiny Ukrainian village.”  –Library Journal

 

“A first novel of surprising power and simplicity.” –The Denver Post

 

“Riveting…beautifully written…The Sky Unwashed is a story of triumph and the power of home and love, with all their faults.” –Chicago Tribune

 

“The strength of the novel lies in Zabytko’s ability to capture the reality of everyday life, the horror of the fallout from a nuclear accident, and the power of the human spirit to survive.” –Booklist

 

“Though Zabytko makes the horror of Chernobyl clear enough — faces wither, teeth and hair fall out… — the greater and more grinding catastrophe seems to be the crumbling Soviet state…”–The New York Times Book Review

 

“One of the joys of reading is coming across a novel in which the author’s voice is so perfectly wedded to an important subject that the blending becomes art…Zabytko’s voice becomes the voice of the forgotten in a moving and memorable book.”–W.D. Wetherell, author of Chekhov’s Sister

 

“…a wrenching novel…The Sky Unwashed tells its harrowing story with quiet compassion and moving empathy.”–Kirkus Reviews