Book: Radium Girls
Author: Kate Moore
Pages: 400
This is my 195th read for the year
What Amazon Says:
The Curies' newly discovered element of radium makes gleaming headlines across the nation as the fresh face of beauty, and wonder drug of the medical community. From body lotion to tonic water, the popular new element shines bright in the otherwise dark years of the First World War. Meanwhile, hundreds of girls toil midst the glowing dust of the radium-dial factories. The glittering chemical covers their bodies from head to toe; they light up the night life industrious fireflies. With such a coveted job, these "shining girls" are the luckiest alive - until they begin to fall mysteriously ill. But the factories that once offered golden opportunities are now ignoring all claims of the gruesome side effects, and the women's cries of corruption. And as the fatal poison of the radium takes hold, the brave shining girls find theselves embroiled in one of the biggest scandals of America's early 20th century, and in a groundbreaking battle for workers' rights that will echo for centuries to come.
Very interesting story. Unbelievable that the girls who worked in these dial factorise used to put the brushes in their mouths to make the painting percise. Killed so many women. Intersesting name drop in this book (besides the Curies'): Dr. Ewing treated many of these women and Ewing's sacroma is what is named after him.
Stars: 4
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