The Radium Girls
The Dark Story of America's Shining Women
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- $17.99
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- $17.99
Publisher Description
A New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Amazon Charts Bestseller!
"The glowing ghosts of the radium girls haunt us still." —NPR Books
Discover the gripping and inspiring true story of The Radium Girls, a groundbreaking work by acclaimed author Kate Moore. Immerse yourself in this compelling narrative that unravels the extraordinary lives of these fearless women who fought against all odds.
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 amidst the glowing dust of the radium-dial factories. The glittering chemical covers their bodies from head to toe; they light up the night like 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 themselves 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.
With meticulous research and a keen eye for detail, Kate Moore delves into the lives of these remarkable individuals, capturing their resilience, strength, and unwavering determination. Through their stories, she exposes the shocking negligence and corporate cover-ups that plagued the radium industry, ultimately sparking a revolution in workplace safety.
The Radium Girls is a masterful blend of historical account and heartfelt tribute. Moore's vivid prose brings these forgotten heroines back to life, ensuring that their sacrifices and triumphs are forever etched in our collective memory. As you turn each page, you'll be captivated by their indelible legacy and inspired by their enduring spirit.
The Radium Girls is a must-read for history enthusiasts, feminists, and anyone seeking a remarkable story of resilience and empowerment.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
This gripping history lesson uncovers one of the most shocking—and underreported—medical crises of the 20th century. After radium was discovered in 1898, its glow-in-the-dark quality started to be used to paint luminous dials onto watches and clocks, and the “radium girls” who did this full-time for the United States Radium Corporation had coveted jobs—until they started to get radiation poisoning. Journalist Kate Moore’s immersive writing explains why thousands of workers became ill and hundreds died—painters were instructed to sharpen their brushes to a point using their mouths, so they were actively ingesting the poisonous paint. This story of what the radium girls had to endure to stand up against a powerful corporation is both fascinating and necessary.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
British ghostwriter Moore traces the lives of more than a dozen American women who were employed as luminous watch-dial painters as early as 1917. She tells how these women, some barely in their 20s, were enchanted by high pay and the allure of the paint s luminescent substance: radium. Carefully researched, the work will stun readers with its descriptions of the glittering artisans who, oblivious to health dangers, twirled camel-hair brushes to fine points using their mouths, a technique called lip-pointing. By the end of 1918, one out of six American soldiers owned a luminous watch, but the women had begun losing their teeth and entire pieces of their jaws. Moore describes the gruesome effects of radiation exposure on these women s bodies, and she spares nothing in relaying the intense emotional suffering of their friends and families during subsequent medical investigations and court battles. In giving voice to so many victims, Moore overburdens the story line, which culminates with a 1938 headline trial during which a former employee of the Radium Dial Company collapsed on the stand and had to testify from bed. Moore details what was a ground-breaking, law-changing, and life-saving accomplishment for worker s rights; it lends an emotionally charged ending to a long, sad book.
Customer Reviews
What a scary read
One of the most disturbing books to read on dip, lip, and paint, to put radium on the watch dials to glow at night, and no wonder these women died such gruesome and hideous deaths!! And what their families had to endure in trying to get help and sue for medical bills and pay for funerals.
A must read!!
Speechless
Wow. Wow. Wow. I am not one to read about non-fiction things like this, but I could not put this book down. The way this book is written is insanely captivating. I experienced so many emotions while reading, it left me speechless, I was horrified, sickened, angered, saddened, and more. Anger. I even cried at some points. This is a story worth hearing, reading, knowing. READ THIS BOOK.
Radium Girls
One of the best books I’ve read in a long time.