The Radium Girls [Excerpt]

Read the EXCLUSIVE extended excerpt of The Radium Girls...

For fans of Hidden Figures, Rise of the Rocket Girls, and The Girls of Atomic City comes the incredible true story of the women exposed to the "wonder" substance of radium and their brave struggle for justice.

During World War I, the young women who were hired to work in America's radium watch dial factories were considered the lucky ones. They were paid well, they got to work with the luminous element dubbed "liquid sunshine" that was all the rage, and they were helping the war effort by providing instruments that shone in the dark.

And their bodies literally glowed because of the amount of radium they were ingesting.

In her new book, The Radium The Dark Story of America's Shining Women, author Kate Moore gives voice to two groups of workers who became horribly ill and fought back against the companies that poisoned them.

Using diaries and letters from the women, their statements in court documents, medical records and archived x-rays, as well as using ancestry documents to track down their relatives for interviews, Moore showcases the forgotten young women whose legal fight led to life-changing workplace safety regulations amid one of the biggest scandals of America's twentieth century.

Preorder and find out how their story ends on May 2.

"This timely book celebrates the strength of a group of women, whose determination to fight improved both labor laws and scientific knowledge of radium poisoning. Written in a highly readable, narrative style, Moore's chronicle of these inspirational women's lives is sure to provoke discussion—and outrage—in book groups." —Booklist, Starred Review

"Moore's well-researched narrative is written with clarity and a sympathetic voice that brings these figures and their struggles to life...a must-read for anyone interested in American and women's history, as well as topics of law, health, and industrial safety." —Library Journal, Starred Review