The book is written as if it is ann’s diary, and she lives alone in a small valley that was unaffected by the devastating nuclear war that wiped out all the surrounding land. One of the themes in the novel 'z for zachariah' is the nuclear holocaust that happened. The Outsiders Final Project For most of my life, i lived with my fear of nuclear war and its aftermath. Z for zachariah book summary . Z for zachariah was not quite finished when mr. The meaning of the title z for zachariah is revealed in a little anecdote about her past, where her children’s book “a for adam” signified the first man. Z for zachariah revolves around the life of ann burden, a teenage girl who survives a nuclear attack but lives in isolation in the belief that she is the only survivor after the radio stations became silent. O’brien died in 1973, but Z for zachariah also received a special honor award from the jane addams children’s book awards that year. Young heroine ann burden finds herse...