The Radium Girls (Anniversary Edition)

About this book

New York Times BestsellerUSA Today BestsellerWall Street Journal Bestseller"The glowing ghosts of the radium girls haunt us still." --NPR BooksThe 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, radium shines bright in the otherwise dark years of the First World War. Meanwhile, hundreds of girls toil amid the glowing dust of the radium-dial factories. With such a coveted job, these "shining girls" are the luckiest alive--until they begin to fall mysteriously ill. The factories that once offered golden opportunities now ignore all claims of gruesome side effects and the women's cries of corruption. Suddenly, the brave shining girls find themselves embroiled in one of the biggest scandals of America's early twentieth century, and in a groundbreaking battle for workers' rights that will echo for centuries to come. Written with a sparkling voice and breakneck pace, The Radium Girls illuminates the inspiring young women exposed to the "wonder" substance of radium, and their determination in the face of almost impossible circumstances. Their courage and tenacity led to life-changing regulations, advanced nuclear research, and ultimately saved thousands of lives.