I don’t know what I was thinking. The stories are so tragic that depressed me. And I was already depressed for end of year festivities. Adding all these tragic girls, neglected by their employers, betrayed by their government. Thankfully they found allies, who helped them in their odyssey seeking for justice. Reading them die as they have no worth or value. The worst is, I can see perfectly that till this day, some employers are still unscrupulously doing that to their employees.
But, depressed and heartbroken, I love this book. πππ
Synopsis below βββ
The Curiesβ 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 βshining girlsβ are the luckiest alive β 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 womenβs 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 Americaβs early 20th century, and in a groundbreaking battle for workersβ rights that will echo for centuries to come.
Written with a sparkling voice and breakneck pace, The Radium Girls fully illuminates the inspiring young women exposed to the βwonderβ substance of radium, and their awe-inspiring strength in the face of almost impossible circumstances. Their courage and tenacity led to life-changing regulations, research into nuclear bombing, and ultimately saved hundreds of thousands of lives…
by mengchieh05