The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women
92 pages • 3-hour read
Kate MooreThe Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women
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Book Brief
496
Book • Nonfiction
United States • 1910s-1920s
•
Safety & Danger•
Gender Identity•
Science & Nature•
Women`s Studies2017
Sourcebooks
Adult
14+ years
980L
Super Short Summary
The Radium Girls by Kate Moore chronicles the devastating effects of radium poisoning on young female workers at the Radium Luminous Materials Corporation and Radium Dial, and their subsequent legal battle against the corporations. The book tells a cautionary tale about the dangers of corporate greed and the lack of health regulations, highlighting the bravery and perseverance of women like Katherine Schaub and Catherine Donohue. The book contains graphic descriptions of medical conditions and procedures.
Dark
Informative
Emotional
Unnerving
Inspirational
Reviews & Readership
179,384 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Review Roundup
Kate Moore's The Radium Girls is praised for its gripping storytelling and thorough research, bringing to light the tragic and inspiring stories of the women poisoned by radium in the early 20th century. However, some reviews note that the narrative occasionally gets bogged down by excessive detail, potentially slowing the pace. Overall, it's a compelling read that captivates and educates.
Who Should Read The Radium Girls?
Readers captivated by real-life stories of resilience, women's history, and industrial disasters will find The Radium Girls by Kate Moore compelling. Fans of Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot will appreciate the meticulous research and narrative of triumph over injustice.
179,384 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
An intelligent, politically inclined young woman from Orange who joins the suit with Katherine, Albina, Quinta, and Edna.
An imaginative, sociable dial-painter from Newark who begins work at 14 and aspired to be a writer.
Sister to Mollie and Quinta; a devoted dial-painter from an Italian family.
A social and friendly dial-painter, her autopsy provided valuable evidence of radium poisoning effects.
A down-to-earth and friendly dial-painter close with Grace Fryer.
A religious, kind dial-painter who loved music.
The Austrian-born doctor and inventor of Undark paint; founder of USRC.
A successful businessman who moved from treasurer to president of USRC.
A vice president of USRC.
The chief chemist of USRC who died of radium poisoning.
Cofounder of USRC with Sabin von Sochocky.
A vice president of USRC.
Mollie Maggia’s dentist and an expert on rare mouth diseases.
Dentist who treated dial-painter Irene Rudolph.
Doctor at the Orange Orthopedic Hospital.
A company "doctor" without a license who deceived the women.
Newark doctor who invented tests to detect radium in the body.
Doctors appointed by USRC to examine the women.
A professor at Harvard School of Public Health and ally to Katherine Wiley.
Commissioner of the Department of Labor.
Husband-and-wife team at Harvard School of Public Health.
Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Investigating statistician at Prudential Insurance Company.
Deputy commissioner of the Department of Labor.
Executive secretary of the Consumers League in New Jersey, advocate for the radium girls.
An Orange health officer and ally to Katherine Wiley.
National investigator from Bureau of Labor Statistics who visited Ottawa.
Consulting chemist for the Department of Labor.
The young lawyer for Katherine, Grace, Albina, Quinta, and Edna’s case in Orange.
USRC company lawyer.
Lawyer who fought for dial-painters’ workers compensation.
Famous lawyer known for defending poor and working-class people.
496
Book • Nonfiction
United States • 1910s-1920s
•
Safety & Danger•
Gender Identity•
Science & Nature•
Women`s Studies2017
Sourcebooks
Adult
14+ years
980L
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