Discovered by Marie and Pierre Curie in 1898, the gleaming element radium (aka liquid sunshine) made headlines in early-1900s America as a medical cure-all and a miraculous cosmetic wonder. During World War I, hundreds of young women flocked to highly coveted jobs in radium-dial ...Discovered by Marie and Pierre Curie in 1898, the gleaming element radium (aka liquid sunshine) made headlines in early-1900s America as a medical cure-all and a miraculous cosmetic wonder. During World War I, hundreds of young women flocked to highly coveted jobs in radium-dial factories, painting clock, watch, and aeronautical-gauge faces with the luminescent material.
But soon many of the "shining girls" began to fall mysteriously, often fatally, ill. Kate Moore unflinchingly relates the harrowing plight of these unsuspecting female factory workers, whose strength and bravery in the face of corporate greed would pave the way for a revolution in workers' rights and industrial safety standards. It's a truly shocking glimpse into a shameful episode in American history that will leave readers both outraged and inspired.