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The Radium Girls

The Radium Girls

By Kate Moore

The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women. Sourcebooks, 2017.

0.0 / 0

21 mins read

17 Key insights

A brief summary of The Radium Girls

The powerful yet tragic tale of 20th-century US female factory workers who exposed the hidden dangers of radium, fought for better labor conditions, and gave their lives for the sake of future generations.

Key insights in The Radium Girls

1
What do you get from this book? The heartbreaking story of victimized women who fought their corporate oppressors
2
At the turn of the 20th century, radium was celebrated as a miracle cure-all, with few aware of its dangers
3
With radium's popularity soaring and new companies emerging, dial-painters fell victim to its radioactive hazards
4
As the radium girls began to die, their complaints fell on deaf ears
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Despite the growing number of deaths and resulting investigations launched against USRC, executives continued to insist that radium was safe
6
Groundbreaking radiation tests proved conclusively that radium was to blame, and the dial-painters finally saw a glimmer of hope
7
While Marguerite's case progressed, the other dial-painters struggled to find a lawyer willing to represent them
8
With the trial underway, the radium girls gained public sympathy even as USRC sought to discredit them
9
Just as things were looking up for dial-painters in New Jersey, studio workers in Ottawa began to die
10
The US government ignored radium's dangers until a wealthy man's death finally prompted action
11
In the Midwest, Ottawa’s dial-painters continued their work, and the lawsuits trickled in
12
In Ottawa, new legal battles against radium began brewing, though a technicality nearly derailed the women's entire case
13
When the Ottawa women finally went to court, Catherine nearly died giving her testimony
14
Catherine’s final win was a win for everyone in the United States
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Summary of the key insights
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Selected critiques in brief
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Final word

Who should read The Radium Girls

History buffs • health professionals • feminists • biography lovers • those fascinated by the women’s labor movement • anyone interested in the intersection of science and social justice

About the author of The Radium Girls

Kate Moore is a bestselling British author with multiple awards and accolades including the 2017 Goodreads Choice Award for Best History and 2021 Booklist Editor's Choice. She was an editorial director at Penguin Random House UK, but left to focus on her own writing career. Moore’s numerous titles have appeared on the Sunday Times bestsellers list.

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Kate Moore

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