Eadie B. (eadieburke) - , reviewed on 1/6/2021 + 1639 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.

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