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Atomic Anna
Three brilliant women.
Two life-changing mistakes.
One chance to reset the future.
In 1986, renowned nuclear scientist, Anna Berkova, is sleeping in her bed in the Soviet Union when Chernobyl’s reactor melts down. It’s the exact moment she tears through time—and it’s an accident. When she opens her eyes, she’s landed in 1992 only to discover Molly, her estranged daughter, shot in the chest. Molly, with her dying breath, begs Anna to go back in time and stop the disaster, to save Molly’s daughter Raisa, and put their family’s future on a better path.
In ‘60s Philadelphia, Molly is coming of age as an adopted refusenik. Her family is full of secrets and a past they won’t share. She finds solace in comic books, drawing her own series, Atomic Anna, and she’s determined to make it as an artist. When she meets the volatile, charismatic Viktor, their romance sets her life on a very different course.
In the ‘80s, Raisa, is a lonely teen and math prodigy, until a quiet, handsome boy moves in across the street and an odd old woman shows up claiming to be her biological grandmother. As Raisa finds new issues of Atomic Anna in unexpected places, she notices each comic challenges her to solve equations leading to one impossible conclusion: time travel. And she finally understands what she has to do.
As these remarkable women work together to prevent the greatest nuclear disaster of the 20th century, they grapple with the power their discoveries hold. Just because you can change the past, does it mean you should?
This discussion guide was shared in partnership with Grand Central Publishing.
Book club questions for Atomic Anna by Rachel Barenbaum
Use these discussion questions to guide your next book club meeting.
At the beginning of Atomic Anna, Yulia and Lazar believe that “we can be anything in America.” Discuss the reasons why they buy into this and the way this belief changes for them over time. What do these characters want for themselves and for Molly?
The idea of assimilation is a strong thread throughout the novel and is present for every character. What effect does this assimilation have on Anna’s, Yulia’s, Molly’s, and Raisa’s lives? Discuss how the idea of assimilation is relevant in your life or in today’s landscape.
Throughout Atomic Anna, Molly and Anna both struggle with the intersections of their identities—Soviet, Jewish, and, in Molly’s and Raisa’s case, American. Describe the ways their identities are in flux or conflict with each other. Have you experienced something similar?
Many characters in Atomic Anna try to protect their loved ones through silence or by telling them lies and half-truths. Challenges then arise when their falsehoods are discovered. What do you think the novel is saying about the ways that families communicate?
This novel is full of complex parent-child, especially mother-daughter, relationships. Discuss the ways each generation carries the trauma of the past, the ways they pass it along, and the ways they try to undo those hurts.
Molly has always been drawn to the creativity of art. Meanwhile, her daughter, Raisa, finds a similar joy in the world of mathematics. Discuss the tension between the arts and sciences in Atomic Anna. Are there pursuits in your own life that give you a sense of freedom and purpose?
Compare Anna’s, Molly’s, and Raisa’s romantic relationships with Yasha, Viktor, and Daniel. What are the similarities that echo in each pairing and where do they diverge? Which ones are more manipulative than healthy?
Xenia's bear necklace is a recurring image in the novel—“a bear at peace and a bear at war.” How does it relate to the story’s themes? What does the necklace mean to each of the main characters?
Discuss the role of intention and morality in this novel. For instance, does it matter that Anna harnesses nuclear power intending to use it for good rather than as a weapon? Do original intentions matter?
The characters of this novel grapple with the questions of time travel and whether just because you can change the past, does it mean you should. If you had this power, what would you do? Should anyone have the power to change the past?
Atomic Anna Book Club Questions PDF
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