FROM CHERNOBYL WITH LOVE: REPORTING FROM THE RUINS OF THE SOVIET UNION by Katya Cengel is a fascinating and entertaining memoir.

Katya may have a Russian first name, but she is decidedly not Russian. Instead, she is a white woman who was born and raised in California. However, that fact didn't stop her from applying to a reporter position in the Latvia.

With both the enthusiasm and naivety of a young adult, Katya had absolutely no idea what she was in for. She didn't speak the language. She knew almost nothing about the politics of the area.

You would assume that someone who had grown up in California with it's temperate climate and easy access to health care and all other amenities of our first-world country would get the heck out of Eastern Europe after experiencing her first winter. Not Katya Cengel. She is made of sterner stuff than 99% of the rest of the citizens of the United States.

Reading about her exploits and adventures will hold readers riveted. From skydiving with questionable parachutes to visiting the restricted area at Chernobyl (twice) it is impossible to put this book down.

From Chernobyl With Love: Reporting from the Ruins of the Soviet Union has won multiple awards and each one is well deserved. This book has everything that a great read should have - with the added benefit that it is all true.

Travel, adventure, crime, corruption, food instability, harsh living conditions, friendship, love, lust and a medically life-threatening situation. This book has it all ... and more.

Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of this book asap.

I rate "From Chernobyl with Love" as 5 out of 5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

There is some fascinating detail about the former USSR countries in the 90s and 00s, following the fall of the Berlin Wall. Unfortunately, there is less about Chernobyl than the title suggests and there's a disconnect between the historical and social observations of the author and her more personal life experience that creates an unbalanced narrative. For a example of how this sort of writing can be managed successfully on a related subject, see Anna Funder's exceptional Stasiland or Dancing Bears by Witold Szabłowski.

It feels a bit unfair to give this such a low review as it was a genre with which i am not overly a fan of. I do have an interest in Chernobyl so I thought that would tempt me a little more. It did not, i found the writing style dragged on and stories felt incomplete. Nothing about the story drew me in and i was definitely reading for completion rather than enjoyment.

A quick read on a journalists perspective of living in a foreign land. Although interesting, it jumped around and wasn't very structured. But if you are interested in Chernobyl or culture and lifestyle of Russia, Ukraine, then you will most likely enjoy this read.

This really didn't suit me, unfortunately. The author leans too heavily on her personal history and not enough on the quality of investigative journalism. I wish Cengel had stayed with the people of the places she visited rather than continually turn back to her own story. Did not finish.

As an avid dark history tourist and fan, this one was a must read for me. I often wonder at the morality of my choice of reads, in that I read about the profound suffering of others because I am interested in the subject and the people, which obviously brings an element of enjoyment of the reading experience (otherwise why would any of us pick up any book?) but this one made me remember why it is so important to read in spite of this. Loved it. Loved it so much that that is all I can say

This memoir by a journalist who has worked in various locations in the former Soviet Union was a chaotic and disjointed collection of anecdotes that could have done with a heavy edit.

I received an advance digital copy of this book from the author, publisher and Netgalley.com. Thanks to all for the opportunity to read and review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Ms. Cengel's book is a difficult yet important read. It is apparent that the author has very emotional ties to the area and subject, she also appears to be an unreliable narrator. The author changes subjects so quickly it is a little hard to follow her train of thought.

3 out of 5 stars.

As often happens in life as well as in reading, there are books linked to coincidences. In this case there are two coincidences, one linked to my past professional life, which gives me a fair knowledge of the Chernobyl tragedy, the other to my current professional life and to the publishing house for which I work, which published "Il grande saccheggio" (The Great Plundering), a wonderful book by journalist Francesca Mereu, about the fall of the Soviet Union and its consequences on today's world.
Cengel's book is, so to speak, a sequel to Mereu's, since it talks about the events of Ukraine - one of the nations born from the fall of the Soviet Union - the fall of society, industry and the economy that followed the great plundering. It also speaks of Chernobyl, of course, albeit in a very limited way, since this tragedy is the epitome of the general decay.

My thanks to the Publishers via NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review. I gave this a 2.5 stars or 5/10

This is an odd book to review if I am honest. The Author tells us of her time both in and out of Russia. Her time spent in Chernobyl, saw her meet and fall in love with her fiancé.

It's not an easy read and at times is a little mixed up in my opinion, I think it could have done with some better editing. Life in the Soviet Union wasn't easy by any stretch of the imagination and this shines through in spades from the Authors portrayal. I am not sure that I would have liked to have done what she did. This was an unusual read in many ways.

From Chernobyl With Love is a very lighthearted recount of the authors time spent in Latvia & the Ukraine in the 90's. The author was in a position to give us a first hand account of what was happening in these two places at a very interesting time in their history. What we get instead is half stories, with no real detail. A chapter starts with an issue such as the missing teenage soldiers in Chechnya but after giving brief details, the author changes tack on to some hardship she encountered without completing the story on her reporting in to original issue. The most detailed & consistent chapters were when she was in hospital. Disappointing.
I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.

This is just the sort of travelogue I object to – one in which the author foregrounds her own opinions and experiences rather than represent and empathise with the people he/she meets. Journalist Katya Cengel spent some time in Latvia and the Ukraine in the 1990s reporting on very turbulent times in the post-Soviet era. From daily trivia to high-level politics, life was difficult, in a state of flux and people were having to adjust to a very different way of existence. But Cengel writes throughout from a perspective of American privilege, unable to throw off her preconceived opinions or fully immerse herself in a different culture. Many of her observations are banal and mocking and she obviously feels superior to many of the people she meets. Her motivation seems unclear throughout. Analysis is not her strong point and at times she acts recklessly and ill-advisedly, endangering herself and others. At one point she is seriously ill with pancreatitis and experiences the inadequacies of the post-Soviet health care system. She is critical of the way she is treated without taking on board the practices of another culture. And yet she risks another, potentially fatal, attack. The book lacked cohesiveness and jumped about from anecdote to anecdote with no overarching theme. Throughout she shows a lack of sensitivity to larger issues. And then there’s far too much about her relationship with Russian Dima, a relationship which is obviously doomed form the start but which she clings on to. But we read travelogues to learn about other countries, other cultures, not to wallow in someone’s tedious romance. Cengel plays so many situations for laughs, continually deriding, rather than trying to learn from the world she has chosen to enter, and acts like a privileged tourist. There are some interesting anecdotes here, to be fair, and she writes well, with verve and enthusiasm. And I recognised much of the absurdity still to be found behind the old Iron Curtain. But I found myself irritated more often than entertained, and wished she had foregrounded other voices occasionally.

Chernobyl has always fascinated me. As such, I was very excited to read this book. Fortunately, it lived up to the hype I'd built up in my mind.

Having read this story from the perspective of historians and Ukrainian citizens who lived in and near Pripyat, it was very interesting to see the disaster through the eyes of an American. I've read some complaints from people who believe that this story isn't for an American journalist to tell. That seems short-sighted, though, when you consider that Cengel lived in that area at the time and also married a Ukrainian man. Therefore, she has much more insight into this terrible moment in history than many may assume.

Whether this is your first book about Chernobyl or your 10th, it's well worth reading.

I received this book as a free ARC from NetGalley in return for an honest review. The book was a quick read. It gives information, through the author's experiences, on Russian and Ukraine culture, lifestyle, etc. and what makes those countries and their people. One of the cons was the book lacked a bit of cohesiveness. It jumped around leaving the reader to try and fit the pieces together, never finishing the story and leaving the reader hanging. At other times, it felt repetitive. I think this book would appeal to those who are interested in Russia, Ukraine, Chernobyl literature, culture, lifestyle, and history.

I have mixed feelings about this book. It is a part memoir and part history chronicle. The journalist starts off on a very happy adventure to Lithuania and later ends up in Ukraine. It was difficult to understand her reasons for staying in Ukraine as it seemed to be a miserable existence. I never got a sense of what motivated Katya even in her romance. The book deals with a lot of tumultuous events which occur in Ukraine and the author assumes that the reader has knowledge of these which I didn't have. I found myself having to google a lot of events to get the background information. The book could do with been better edited and more explanation around the background of events given. However I really admire the authors spirit and bravery. This is a very honest account of a young woman's journey and I'm certain will add to the historical documentation of this period in Eastern European history.

From Chernobyl With Love documents the writers time working in the Ukraine as a journalist. Leaving California for the Baltics was a culture shock to say the least. Adventures and experiences abound from budget sky diving where the instructions are in Russian and you don't speak a lot of Russian; almost being arrested by government officials for a parcel containing orthodontic retainers and ibruprofen; visiting a retirement home for dancing bears in Bulgaria; almost dying from pancreatitis - and finding love (although not everlasting) on a bus returning from Chernobyl.

A fascinating account of a time of upheaval, political protest and personal development.

A fascinating look at a country we know very little about other then what we read in the headlines.The author was very brave to enter this world she shares with us the lives of the people day to day suffering.This was a really interesting read the author shares her interactions her view of their lives.An author to follow through more of her life experiences.#netgalley#uofnebraskapress

I was a kid when we heard about the Chernobyl disaster. I remember it being on the news for weeks and then being the catalyst for a number of apocalyptic-style TV programmes, warning us about the disastrous prospect of a nuclear winter. Over the years I’ve read lots about it, had friends who have gone to the Ukraine to visit the site of the disaster, and more recently, was hooked on the popular Chernobyl miniseries produced by HBO & Sky.

So, when I got the chance to read this book I was, to say the least, excited.

Katya Cengel is a journalist and back in the 90s, she decided to ride the wave of young writers who went East in the wake of the fall of the Berlin Wall and took a job at the Baltic Times.

In this book, she tells us about her adventures; the long, lonely, freezing cold nights, frequently with no running water or heating, apartments with walls missing and desperately trying to keep warm with ‘hot water bottles’ fashioned from Pepsi bottles. She is, understandably unhappy – seems to hate it there, but keeps at it. She makes friends and has relationships with some wholly unsuitable men. I’m not really sure why she stays. Over time her health begins to suffer and only when she is scarily close to death with an undiagnosed condition, does she go home – only to return as soon as she’s feeling better. When she falls ill again, she has to rely on her boyfriend’s family to use their hard-saved cash to bribe the doctors into treating her. Katya just seems to be a bad fit for the life she’s chosen herself and if you’re familiar with the Pulp song ‘Common People’, it felt a bit like that for me. She was living in hard times in the Eastern bloc but she seems to not take on board the fact that she’s just a tourist really, the people who live there were born there, and have very little chance or opportunity to go and make a living elsewhere.

Also, I felt a bit cheated. The book is called ‘From Chernobyl with Love and there is very little Chernobyl actually in there

I’m not saying this book is awful, far from it. I liked Katya, I liked her detailed and evocative descriptions of the Soviet bloc in the 90s, and I swear I could feel the cold when I read of her shivering in bed with no heat in the middle of a freezing winter– even though I was reading it on a Spanish sun lounger in 90 degree heat. However my biggest gripe was with the structure as I felt it didn’t flow very well and enjoyable as it was, it read more like a series of blog posts than a book.

3/5

So, I'm gonna be honest.

I'm not sure what this book is... for.

Most memoirs seem to have some kind of a theme or story of growth or... Well, you know what I mean. That's how people can write four thousand memoirs and have them all be different (I'm looking at you, Augusten Burroughs). They aren't just, "First I went here and I did this thing, and then I went there and did that thing."

Uh, this kind of is.

And that doesn't have to be a bad thing, really, if they're fun to read or tell a good story or are a travelogue or something.

This book is, like, none of those things?

The story of a woman who worked as a newspaper reporter in the Soviet bloc, the only unifying theme is how much she desperately wants to work in the Soviet bloc but how much she hates it there. It's an experience of a naive person who refuses to learn from experience, is more than a touch racist, and doesn't seem to understand these people with these difficult, austere lives aren't doing it by choice, even though she lived, reported on, and even married a man from there. Originally from California, she never seems to drop the mindset of privileged West Coast denizen. But she really wants you to know her name is Katya, which is like, so Russian. I can't figure her out.

I'm giving this two stars not because the writing is particularly good - in fact, it's stilted in places and not even particularly easy to follow - but because the opening segment about her time in Latvia was a really nice portrait of the Baltic states after the fall of the Soviet Union. If it had just been that, I probably would have enjoyed it a lot more.