It was a fun job, lucrative and glamorous - the girls themselves shone brightly in the dark, covered head to toe in the dust from the paint. In 1917, as a war raged across the world, young American women flocked to work, painting watches, clocks, and military dials with a special luminous substance made from radium. Their courage and tenacity led to life-changing regulations, research into nuclear bombing, and ultimately saved hundreds of thousands of lives.'The first thing we asked was, 'Does this stuff hurt you?' And they said, 'No.' The company said that it wasn't dangerous, that we didn't need to be afraid.' Written with a sparkling voice and breakneck pace, The Radium Girls fully illuminates the inspiring young women exposed to the 'wonder' substance of radium, and their awe-inspiring strength in the face of almost impossible circumstances. A timely story of corporate greed and the brave figures that stood up to fight for their lives, these women and their voices will shine for years to come. And as the fatal poison of the radium takes hold, the brave shining girls find themselves embroiled in one of the biggest scandals of America's early 20th century, and in a groundbreaking battle for workers' rights that will echo for centuries to come. And, until they begin to come forward.Īs the women start to speak out on the corruption, the factories that once offered golden opportunities ignore all claims of the gruesome side effects. With such a coveted job, these 'shining girls' are the luckiest alive - until they begin to fall mysteriously ill. The glittering chemical covers their bodies from head to toe they light up the night like industrious fireflies. Meanwhile, hundreds of girls toil amidst the glowing dust of the radium-dial factories. From body lotion to tonic water, the popular new element shines bright. In the dark years of the First World War, radium makes gleaming headlines across the nation as the fresh face of beauty, and wonder drug of the medical community.

in the early 20th century, and their brave and groundbreaking battle to strengthen workers' rights, even as the fatal poison claimed their own lives.

A New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Amazon Charts Bestseller!įor fans of Hidden Figures, comes the incredible true story of the women heroes who were exposed to radium in factories across the U.S.

The Radium Girls by Kate Moore