Jody M. (jodymcgrath) - reviewed The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women on + 110 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
This book not only told the history of the dial painters who were poisoned by radiation from painting glowing dials for the war effort, it went deeper and made it into a story about the individual girls and their lives and the struggles and losses they suffered everyday from this poisoning. It was beautifully heart wrenching. You felt you knew these girls; these girls were your neighbors, your coworkers, or your family. You wanted justice for them. You knew their fate and yet you hoped of some other outcome, just this one time. This book took a didfferent approach to this story that hit you right in the feels. Excellent storytelling. I highly recommend this great read!
**I received a copy of this book and have given an honest review**
**I received a copy of this book and have given an honest review**
Eadie B. (eadieburke) - , reviewed The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women on + 1643 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
The Curies discover the element radium which became the wonder drug of the medical community used in the fight of cancer tumors. It was also used to paint watch dials on soldiers' watches during WWI because the element shines bright in the dark. Young girls were eager to get these jobs at the radium-dial factories as the radium dust caused their bodies to light up and they became known as 'the shining girls'. As the girls became mysteriously ill and died, the factories were covering up the problem. The brave shining girls soon find themselves in one of the biggest scandals of America's early 20th century. It became the groundbreaking battle for workers' rights that started the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Federal Agency.
It is a very hard book to read as it describes girl after girl who were losing their teeth, jaws and body parts from inserting the paint brush tips full of radium in their mouths in order to better paint the watch dials. Kate Moore has done excellent research and shows how the girl's courage ultimately saved thousands of lives. I would recommend this book to those who love true historic stories.
It is a very hard book to read as it describes girl after girl who were losing their teeth, jaws and body parts from inserting the paint brush tips full of radium in their mouths in order to better paint the watch dials. Kate Moore has done excellent research and shows how the girl's courage ultimately saved thousands of lives. I would recommend this book to those who love true historic stories.
Dawn B. (stargazingbookworm) - , reviewed The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women on + 29 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Finished Radium Girls last night. It was good. Extremely hard to read. It was a book that I had to read in smaller sittings, because the subject matter is so dire. Reading detailed medical facts about what each person's story was very difficult, until I read the back of the book and realized that was the purpose of the writer. She felt that each of these ladies had made huge contributions so that others would be protected. Found extremely interesting that we can thank these shining women for OSHA being here now. I do think that perhaps more of an explanation of the purpose of the story would have helped. It was absolutely a story that needed to be known.
I'm glad I read it and these ladies and their stories will continue to haunt me. What they went through was beyond horrific. The lies, even when they were given medical tests, more lies. Just so awful.
I'm glad I read it and these ladies and their stories will continue to haunt me. What they went through was beyond horrific. The lies, even when they were given medical tests, more lies. Just so awful.