Title: The Radium
Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women
Author: Kate More
Synopsis: “The incredible true story of the young women
exposed to the “wonder” substance of radium and their brave struggle for
justice…
“As World War
I raged across the globe, hundreds of young women toiled away at the
radium-dial factories, where they painted clock faces with a mysterious new
substance called radium. Assured by
their bosses that the luminous material was safe, the women themselves shone
brightly in the dark, covered from head to toe with the glowing dust. With such a coveted job these “shining girls”
were considered the luckiest alive – until they began to fall mysteriously
ill. As the fatal poison of the radium
took hold, they found themselves embroiled in one of America’s biggest scandals
and a groundbreaking battle for workers’ rights.
“A rich,
historical narrative written in a sparkling voice, The Radium Girls is the
first book the fully explores the strength of extraordinary women in the face
of almost impossible circumstances and the astonishing legacy they left behind.”
Review: This book
was really hard to read, while also being hard to put down. The descriptions of what happened to these
women are horrific; I had nightmares after reading this. But it’s an important part of our
history. Where would we be without the
ground breaking legal battles that these brave women fought? They illuminated the way for future worker’s
rights. With The Radium Girls, Kate
Moore brings history to life. I truly
felt like I got to know the women whose stories are being told here. At one point I was so into what I was reading
that I literally burned water.
Seriously, I was beginning dinner, making rice and the pot boiled dry
while I was reading. There were
flames.
It took me
about 5 hours to read The Radium Girls, and I did nothing else while reading
it. I had to finish, to find out what
happened to these women, and make sure they got the justice they deserved. If you like history, or enjoy the safety laws
that keep you safe at your job, I strongly recommend The Radium Girls.
**I received a free copy of this
book, in exchange for my honest review, via NetGalley**
Publisher: Sourcebooks
If you like this book you may want to read:
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the
Amazon by David Grann
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